Provision of Alternative Telecommunication Services

An apparatus for providing a plurality of different telecommunications services from a provider to a plurality of users of a telecommunication network, comprising:

• a primary cross-connect connected between a node of the provider and a plurality of subscriber lines, and operative to supply a selected telecommunications service from the provider to one or more of the subscriber lines;
• a plurality of remotely operable switches associated with the primary cross-connect, each switch operative to connect a telecommunications service from the provider to a respective subscriber line via the primary cross-connect;
• and
• a secondary cross-connect in communication with the provider node and the primary cross-connect, the secondary cross-connect and each switch selectively operative from a remote location to disconnect a selected one or more of the users from an existing telecommunication service that is provided to the selected user via the respective switches and the primary cross-connect.

A method of operating a telecommunications network, comprising:

• providing a node for supplying a plurality of different telecommunications services to a plurality of users;
• providing a primary cross-connect in communication with the node;
• providing the primary cross-connect with a plurality of subscriber lines for supplying a selected telecommunications service to a selected user;
• providing a secondary cross-connect in communication with the node and the primary cross-connect;
• providing each subscriber line with an associated remotely operable switch;
• operating a respective switch from a remote location to disconnect an existing telecommunications service to the selected user;
• and
• operating the primary cross-connect and the secondary cross-connect from a remote location thereby to supply the selected telecommunications service to the selected user via the secondary cross-connect and appropriate connections in the primary cross-connect.