Patent ID: 8213414

Claim:
A method for providing terminating time division multiplex (TDM) service in a packet network, comprising: at a media gateway in a packet network, (a) receiving a combined set including a plurality of TDM channels over the packet network; and (b) terminating the TDM channels as a combined TDM facility, wherein terminating the TDM channels as a combined TDM facility includes terminating the TDM channels on a per span basis, wherein terminating the TDM channels as a combined TDM facility includes providing, at the media gateway, at least one terminating TDM service for the TDM channels, wherein terminating the TDM channels includes terminating the TDM channels in the packet network rather than relaying the TDM channels through the packet network to a TDM network to receive TDM terminating service, and wherein terminating the TDM channels includes allocating a virtual TDM span to carry the TDM channels in the media gateway.