| 摘要 |
A system and method for minimizing the cost of long distance telecommunications connections is disclosed. Long distance service providers monitor current and predicted demands on their telecommunications networks. In response to actual, real-time demand levels, the service providers adjust their rate schedules for long distance callers. Callers can access an Internet web site, or some other computer network node, to obtain current rate information for a particular calling destination or time. The callers are then able to route their calls over the long distance network with the best rate. Telecommunications service providers can also provide related services, such as automatically connecting callers to the lowest available rate for each long distance call. In another embodiment, callers can schedule future calls to lock-in a certain rate or to guarantee a particular type of connection. |
