Patent ID: 6956843

Claim:
Method for setting up telephone-to-telephone calls using telephones connected to a PSTN/ISDN access network and using a separate packet-switched network as a by-pass network, wherein telephone gateways (GW) provide bridges between the PSTN/ISDN access network and said by-pass network, and connections being established between a calling party (A) telephone and a first gateway (GWa) and between a second gateway (GWb) and a called party (B) telephone, said method comprising the steps of: dialing, by a calling party (A) in a one-step procedure, a by-pass network service prefix together with the number of a called party (B), said by-pass network service prefix comprising an IN-service prefix, and analyzing said by-pass network service prefix to identify a relevant IN service for thereby routing the call to an IN node which can execute this IN service, the IN service establishing a call to said first gateway (GWa) selected from one of a plurality of gateways (GW), whereby said first gateway is made service transparent to the calling party (A), wherein a list of said gateways is stored in the IN network, as well as a list of respective IP-addresses and respective area code(s) associated with each of said gateways.