System and method for providing telephone service access via a gateway telephone

A computer program product, comprising:

• a computer useable medium including computer usable program code for performing a method for providing telephone service, the computer program product including:
• computer usable program code for receiving a request at a first telephone from a second telephone to access the first telephone's telephone service in response to the second telephone's inability to access the second telephone's telephone service;
• and
• computer usable program code for granting access to the first telephone's telephone service for use by the second telephone in response to receiving the request at the first telephone prompting the first telephone to grant access to the first telephone's telephone service,
• wherein the request is received by the first telephone from the second telephone via a short-range wireless connection.

A system, comprising:

• a first telephone configured with a short-range wireless protocol;
• and
• a second telephone configured with the short-range wireless protocol and further configured for communicatively coupling with the first telephone via a short-range wireless connection,
• wherein the first telephone is further configured for granting the second telephone access to the first telephone's telephone service via the short-range wireless connection.