Apparatus and method for internet telephony routing

A telephone communications system for a telecommunications network, said network comprising a plurality of circuit switched telephone networks and a plurality of packet switched telephone network, said system comprising:

• means for maintaining a subscriber profile that determines that all calls of a first class made by the subscriber are to be sent over one of said packet switched networks chosen from among a list of pre-selected packet switched networks ordered in a preference ranking, and that further determines that calls made by the subscriber and not of said first class are to be sent over a pre-selected one of the circuit switched networks,
• means for receiving a called party's telephone number generated by the subscriber,
• means for analyzing the called number and the subscriber profile to determine whether a connection to the called number can be routed over one of the pre-selected packet networks in accordance with the preference ranking specified by the subscriber profile, said means for analyzing computing a billing rate for the connection and querying the subscriber for approval if the connection is to be made from other than a registered telephone of the subscriber, and
• means for establishing the connection to the called party over one of the pre-selected packet switched networks if the called number is of the first class and the analyzing means determines the connection can be routed over one of the pre-selected packet switched networks and for establishing the connection over a pre-selected circuit switched network if the called number is not of the first class.

A telephone communications system for a telecommunications network, said network comprising a plurality of circuit switched telephone networks and a plurality of packet switched network, said system comprising:

• means for maintaining a subscriber profile that determines that all calls of a first class made by the subscriber are to be sent over one of said packet switched networks chosen from among a list of pre-selected packet switched networks ordered in a preference ranking, and that further determines that calls made by the subscriber and not of said first class are to be sent over a pre-selected one of the circuit switched networks,
• means for receiving a called party's telephone number generated by the subscriber wherein said telephone number is intercepted by the telecommunications network and then forwarded by the telecommunications network to said receiving means,
• means for analyzing the called number and the subscriber profile to determine whether a connection to the called number can be routed over one of the pre-selected packet networks in accordance with the preference ranking specified by the subscriber profile, and
• means for establishing the connection to the called party over one of the pre-selected packet switched networks if the called number is of the first class and the analyzing means determines the connection can be routed over one of the pre-selected packet switched network and for establishing the connection over a pre-selected circuit switched network if the called number is not of the first class.