Patent ID: 8798035

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving a request from a calling party within a controlled-environment facility at a call processing platform to initiate a communication with a called party; prior to initiating said communication between said calling party and said called party, receiving an indication from said called party of whether said called party wishes to utilize a first network infrastructure or a second network infrastructure to establish said communication; and at least one of: if said called party indicates selection of said first network infrastructure, establishing a link under control of said call processing platform using said first network infrastructure to provide said communication between said calling party and said called party; or if said called party indicates selection of said second network infrastructure, establishing a link under control of said call processing platform using said second network infrastructure to provide said communication between said calling party and said called party; and wherein said indication is received in response to an announcement providing information to said called party explaining an advantage or a disadvantage of selecting said first or second network infrastructures.