Method and apparatus for introducing a delay during a call setup in a communication network

A computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions including instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for introducing a delay during a call set up in a communication network, comprising:

• detecting a call signaling message arrival rate threshold has been exceeded for a call set up;
• and
• if said call signaling message arrival rate threshold has been exceeded for said call set up, then introducing a configurable delay by a Call Control Element (CCE) between each of a plurality of incoming call signaling messages destined to a single phone number associated with said call set up, wherein said introducing said configurable delay between each of a plurality of incoming call signaling messages comprises:
• introducing said configurable delay between a start of processing of each of said plurality of incoming call signaling messages destined to said single phone number,
• wherein said configurable delay is determined by a number of call legs to be setup to said single phone number divided by a predefined period of time in which the setup of all the call legs is to be completed.

An apparatus for introducing a delay during a call set up in a communication network, comprising:

• means for detecting a call signaling message arrival rate threshold has been exceeded for a call set up;
• and
• a Call Control Element (CCE) for introducing a configurable delay between each of a plurality of incoming call signaling messages destined to a single phone number associated with said call set up if said call signaling message arrival rate threshold has been exceeded for said call set up, wherein said introducing said configurable delay between each of a plurality of incoming call signaling messages comprises:
• introducing said configurable delay between a start of processing of each of said plurality of incoming call signaling messages destined to said single phone number,
• wherein said configurable delay is determined by a number of call legs to be setup to said single phone number divided by a predefined period of time in which the setup of all the call legs is to be completed.