Combining narrowband applications with broadband transport

An arrangement for combining narrowband and broadband transport mechanisms in a communications network, comprising:

• a narrowband node that includes narrowband switching fabric and switching intelligence;
• a broadband node that includes only broadband switching fabric;
• and
• an interworking entity operatively connected to the narrowband node and the broadband node, said interworking entity adapted to receive data and call control instructions in a first format from the narrowband node, map the received data and call control instructions into a second format interpretable by the broadband node, and send the mapped data and call control instructions to the broadband node.

A system for combining narrowband and broadband transport mechanisms in a communications network, comprising:

• a narrowband node that includes call control functionality and circuit-switched connection control functionality;
• a plurality of broadband nodes, each broadband node including packet-switched connection control functionality, but not call control functionality;
• and
• an interworking entity, said interworking entity operatively connected to the narrowband node and to said plurality of broadband nodes, said interworking entity adapted (i) to receive routing data in a circuit-switched format from the narrowband node, (ii) to map the received routing data into a packet-switched format that is implementable by said plurality of broadband nodes, and (iii) to send the mapped routing data to at least one broadband node of said plurality of broadband nodes.

A method for combining narrowband and broadband transport mechanisms in a communications network, comprising the steps of:

• sending a first communication path instruction from a narrowband node to an interworking entity;
• mapping the first communication path instruction to a second communication path instruction at the interworking entity;
• sending the second communication path instruction from the interworking entity to at least one broadband node in a broadband network;
• and
• establishing a communication path in the broadband network responsive to the second communication path instruction.