Patent ID: 8811589

Claim:
A communications network for a provision of an operator selection service for subscribers of a communications network, comprising: a single local exchange being operatively connected to a plurality subscriber terminals, the local exchange being operated by a first service provider, the local exchange including a plurality of ports that are formed in pairs by a plurality of connection loops, the local exchange of the first service provider being configured to, send an initial address message enabling call selection including an interconnection access identification defining a communication channel of an assigned one of the plurality of connection loops and an address of a calling subscriber and a called subscriber, wherein the called address is translated according to predefined rules into a physical address of a called terminal, receive a connection request message, and establish a connection on the defined communication channel of the assigned connection loop based on the connection request message, the assigned connection loop being associated with a second, service provider, no additional local exchanges being required to establish the connection on the defined communication channel.