Apparatus and method for dialing out of local area telephone calls

An apparatus for determining a called party's phone number when dialing out of a caller's local area comprising:

• a network;
• a database resident in said network, wherein said database includes access codes, one of said access codes being utilized to place a call to a called party's telephone when dialing out of the caller's local area, said one of said access codes designating an area code or an international calling code for the called party's telephone;
• and
• a user input device wherein the caller utilizes said user input device to input the called party's local telephone number into said network and to designate a name of a geographic location related to the called party to said network, said local telephone number not including any prefix designating either an area code or an international calling code, and wherein said one of said access codes is accessed from said database based on said name of said geographic location related to the called party designated by the caller.

A method for determining a called party's phone number when dialing out of a caller's local area comprising the steps of:

• storing out-of-area access codes in a database resident in a telephone connection mechanism;
• receiving the called party's local telephone number, said local telephone number not including any prefix designating either an area code or an international calling code, in said telephone connection mechanism;
• and
• accessing from said database an out-of-area access code related to the called party's local telephone number, said out-of-area access code designating an area code or an international calling code for the called party's telephone, wherein said step of accessing an access code from said database is accomplished by receiving identification information related to the called party from the caller and wherein said identification information is the name of the called party.

An apparatus for placing a phone call when dialing out of a caller's local area comprising:

• a network;
• a database resident in said network, wherein said database includes access codes, one of said access codes being utilized to place a call to a called party's telephone when dialing out of the caller's local area, said one of said access codes designating an area code or an international calling code for the called party's telephone;
• and
• a user input device wherein the caller utilizes said user input device to input the called party's local telephone number into said network, said local telephone number not including any prefix designating either an area code or an international calling code, and to input identification information related to the called party into said network, wherein said identification information is the name of the called party and wherein said one of said access codes is accessed from said database based on said identification information related to the called party input by the caller.