System and method for media gateway negotiation

A system for negotiating Media Gateways (MGs) between a plurality of call control nodes (CCNs), the system comprising:

• a first CCN having means for assembling a first MG identifier list having at least one MG capable of being used in a call by the first CCN and means for sending the first MG identifier list to
• a second CCN, the second CCN having means for removing any identifiers, from the first MG identifier list, associated with any MG in the first MG identifier list that is not capable of being used in the call by the second CCN, thereby forming a modified MG identifier list associated with at least one MG capable of being used in a call by the first CCN and the second CCN,
• the second CCN including means for
• using a specified MG, for establishing a user plane, from the modified MG identifier list and
• sending a first backward message from the second CCN to the first CCN identifying the specified MG.

A call control node (CCN) for negotiating Media Gateways (MGs) to be used in a call, the CCN comprising:

• means for constructing and sending to a subsequent CCN a first MG identifier list including at least one MG that is capable of being used in a call, wherein the subsequent CCN removes any MG identifier from the first MG identifier list not capable of being used by the subsequent CCN and sends a modified MG identifier list to another CCN and the another CCN removes any remaining MG identifier from the modified MG identifier list that is not capable of being used by the another CCN, resulting in a final MG identifier list;
• means for receiving a backward message, including a specific MG identifier selected from the final MG identifier list, from the subsequent CCN, which includes MG identifiers that are capable of being used by the CCN, the subsequent CCN and the another CCN;
• and
• means for completing a user plane, for the call, between the specific MG selected from the final MG identifier list capable of being used by the CCN, the subsequent CCN and the another CCN.