System and method for establishing long distance voice communications using the internet

An apparatus for establishing long distance voice communications between an origination number supplied by a calling party having Internet access and a telephone connected by a first line to a public switched telephone network, and a termination number of a called party having access to a telephone connected by a second line to the public switched telephone network, comprising:

• a long distance service provider node accessible by the calling party's computer through the Internet, the node being programmed to:
• a) on a one time basis, to download to a calling party's computer a membership identification form and to obtain identification information and verify the credit rating of the calling party on receipt of the completed form;
• b) on a per session basis, to download a logon form to identify the calling party and verify the calling party's eligibility to place long distance calls;
• c) on a per session basis, in an instance where the calling party is eligible to place long distance calls, to download call request enabling software to permit the calling party to request a long distance call;
• d) on a per call basis, to accept a call request from the calling party and to forward the call request to a call connection control computer;
• the call connection control computer having an interface with a toll switch connected to the public switched telephone network and programmed to:
• a) receive the call request from the long distance service provider node and instruct the toll switch through the interface to:
• 1) establish communications with the origination number using a first trunk;
• 2) establish communications with the termination number using a second trunk;
• 3) conference together the first and second trunks;
• and
• 4) pass back at least a variable representing a duration of the call on call termination;
• whereby at least the variable representing the duration of the call is stored in a data base by the call connection control computer or returned by the call connection control computer to the long distance service provider node for storage in the data base to permit billing the calling party for the long distance charges for the call.