Method and apparatus for communications between carriers

A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, perform operations at a server, the operations comprising:

• determining, according to a request by a first device of a first carrier network to initiate an internet protocol call session with a second device, whether the second device is associated with the first carrier network or a second carrier network;
• responsive to determining that the second device is associated with the second carrier network:
• obtaining a first pointer to a second carrier network telephone number mapping equipment server (ENUM) from an internetwork packet exchange telephone number mapping equipment server (ENUM) of a third network;
• obtaining a record associated with a called number of the second device according to the first pointer from the second carrier network telephone number mapping equipment server;
• determining a first internet protocol address for the second device from the record associated with the called number;
• and
• transmitting the first internet protocol address for the second device to a controller of the first carrier network to initiate the internet protocol call session between the first device of the first carrier network and the second device of the second carrier network.

A method, comprising:

• obtaining, by a processing system including a processor, a request provided by a first device of a first carrier network for an internet protocol call session with a second device;
• responsive to a determination by the processing system that the second device is associated with a second carrier network:
• obtaining, by the processing system, a record associated with a called number from a second carrier network telephone number mapping equipment server (ENUM) of the second carrier network according to a pointer to the second carrier network telephone number mapping equipment server;
• and
• transmitting, by the processing system, an internet protocol address for the second device derived from the record to a controller of the first carrier network such that the internet protocol call session is initiated,
• wherein the pointer is obtained from an internetwork packet exchange telephone number mapping equipment server (ENUM) of a third network.