Methods and systems for billing and routing local toll-free communications

A system for routing a telephone call from an originating party who dials a local toll-free calls comprising:

• means for receiving originating information related to an originating number;
• means for receiving terminating information related to a terminating number;
• means for comparing an originating geographical location of the originating information to a terminating geographical location of the terminating information;
• if the originating geographical location and the terminating geographical location are within the same service area, then means for determining that a communication is the local toll-free communication and means for routing the originating number to a switch serving the terminating number;
• means for completing the local toll-free communication to the terminating number;
• and
• means for transmitting a call record to a billing database.

A method for discriminating among toll-free calls to identify each communication that originates and terminates within a common geographic area in order to bill the communication at a selected rate, the method comprising:

• receiving an identifier associated with an origination point in which the communication originates;
• determining a destination point associated with the destination to which the communication is directed;
• and
• analyzing the origination point and the destination point to determine whether the communication may be entirely routed via a local telecommunications service provider.