System and method for providing communications services

A method for providing a communications service via a network comprising:

• receiving a call from a calling communications device at a switch;
• receiving a number from the calling communications device at the switch;
• routing the call through the switch to a called communications device as a function of the number;
• monitoring the call between the calling communications device and the called communications device with a processor;
• detecting a signal in the call with the processor;
• and
• signaling, with the processor in response to the signal, the switch to additionally route the call to an operator communications device.

A routing system for providing a communications service via a network comprising:

• a switch;
• a first interface coupled to the switch and operable to relay a signal between a calling communications device and the switch;
• a second interface coupled to the switch and operable to relay the signal between a called communications device and the switch;
• a third interface coupled to the switch and operable to relay the signal between an operator communications device and the switch;
• a processor coupled to the switch operable to receive the signal from the first interface and read a number associated with the calling communications device from the signal, and to selectively activate the switch as a function of the signal to communicably couple the first interface to the second interface;
• and
• a line condition module in a memory of the computer;
• wherein the processor is operable to compare the number associated with the calling communication to a number stored in the memory, and to selectively, based on the comparison, activate the line condition module to monitor the signal as the signal is relayed between the first interface and the second interface.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein that causes a computer to activate a switch to route a call from a calling communications device to a called communications device and an operator communications device, the computer readable program code in the article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code that causes the computer to activate the switch to receive the call from the calling communications device;
• computer readable program code that causes the computer to receive a number from the calling communications device;
• computer readable program code that causes the computer to activate the switch to route the call to the called communications device;
• computer readable program code that causes the computer to monitor the call between the calling communications device and the called communications device;
• computer readable program code that causes the computer detect a signal in the call;
• computer readable program code that causes the computer to, in response to the signal, activate the switch to additionally route the call to the operator communications device.