COMPLETING TELECOMMUNICATIONS CALLS IN A COMPETITIVE LOCAL AND TOLL ENVIRONMENT

摘要

In an environment of competitive local and interexchange carriers, offering number portability between local earners serving a common region an d between switches serving that region, each local carrier accesses a regional database to determine the identity of the carrier and switch serving a local customer . In addition, interexchange carriers access a national database to determine the identity of the carrier and switch serving the customer specified by the number diale d by an originating customer. For customers requiring high reliability service, alternate carriers can be used to serve such customers in case the primary carrier is unavailable; the databases identify these alternate carriers. Advantageously , this arrangement allows a high degree of freedom of movement of customers between carriers and geographic relocation without requiring a number change.