Patent ID: 8483126

Claim:
A telecommunications switching system comprising a local access system for routing communication to and from a mobile terminal by way of a first switched network, and interface means for routing communication to and from the mobile terminal by way of a cellular telephone network, the telecommunications switching system further comprising: a register associated with the first network for recording the network locations of mobile terminals having directory numbers allocated to the register; switching means for routing incoming requests for a connection directed to directory numbers allocated to the register, arranged such that if a connection attempt is directed to a number allocated to the register, the switching means accesses the required directory number from the register and, if the mobile terminal is not currently in communication with the first switched network through the local access system, the switching means attempts to establish the requested connection with the cellular telephone network, and the terminal is recorded by the register as being connected to the cellular telephone network, and if the mobile terminal is currently in communication with the first switched network through the local access system, the switching means establishes the requested connection directly by way of the first switched network, the telecommunications switching system further comprising an interface for reporting to a register of the cellular telephone network when the mobile terminal is in communication with the first switched network through the local access system.