Line testing in a telecommunications network

A method of applying a test tone to a terminating line of a telecommunications network which comprises a network of switches, said network including local switches connected to terminating lines, at least some of said local switches being provided with test equipment which is capable of providing a test tone on a specified terminating line, said network having a test apparatus connected to one of said switches, said test apparatus having predefined telephone number, said method comprising the steps of:

• said test apparatus receiving a call routed through said network from a user in which the user specifies a terminating line on which a test tone is required, and said test apparatus instructing the test equipment of the local switch to which the specified terminating line is connected to provide a test tone on the specified terminating line;
• wherein:
• said test apparatus has a database which relates telephone numbers of the terminating lines to telephone numbers of test equipment of the local switches to which the terminating lines are connected, and
• in said step of instructing the local switch to provide a test tone, said test apparatus performs the steps of:
• retrieving from its database the telephone number of the test equipment of the local switch to which the specified terminating line is connected;
• dialing the telephone number so retrieved;
• and
• instructing the thus dialed test equipment to provide a test tone on the specified terminating line.

A telecommunications network comprising a network of switches, said network including local switches connected to terminating lines, at least some of said local switches being provided with test equipment which is capable of providing a test tone on a specified terminating line, and a test apparatus having a predefined telephone number connected to one of said local switches and arranged to receive a call routed to it through said network from one of said terminating lines;

• said test apparatus comprising:
• means for receiving a call from a user in which the user specifies a terminating line on which a test tone is required;
• and
• means for instructing the test equipment of a local switch to which the specified terminating line is connected to provide a test tone on the specified terminating tone, the so instructed local switch being a local switch other than the local switch to which the test apparatus is connected.