Patent ID: 7346152

Claim:
A method for an automated voice response system to present access numbers to dial-up Internet users, the automated voice response system performing the steps of: establishing a telephony communication with a party responsive to a received telephone call from the party; receiving an indicator of a service region within which dial-up Internet access is requested; querying at least one data store for access numbers associated with the service region; determining a plurality of access numbers local to the service region; ascertaining current load upon each of the plurality of access numbers; dynamically generating a response to the querying step that is customized specifically for the telephony communication; preferring those access numbers having a lower current load within the response; and when the response includes at least one access number, presenting the at least one access number to the party across the telephone communication, wherein the response of the generating step is customized based upon network status information from a network infrastructure which provides dialup Internet service.