Patent ID: 7974271

Claim:
A system for providing high quality sound communications within an IP Centrex network, the system comprising: a processor located in a network element; a module configured to control the processor to identify an optimal bandwidth for a call between a first customer premises equipment (CPE) and a second CPE, and to establish a connection between the first CPE and the second CPE according to a negotiated call quality based on the identified optimal bandwidth and a dialing plan mapping between the first CPE and the second CPE based on network addresses for the first CPE and the second CPE, wherein the first CPE is an intelligent phone comprising: a module configured to digitize sound received at the CPE; a module configured to packetize a received signal; and a module configured to negotiate with an IP Centrex network connecting the first CPE and the second CPE to connect at rates more than 64 kbps.