Method and system for routing calls over a packet switched computer network

A system for completing phone calls over a packet switched computer network, comprising:

• a source network for originating a phone call;
• an intermediate network for routing the phone call and operatively linked to the source network;
• a destination network for completing the phone call and operatively linked to the intermediate network;
• a clearinghouse database operatively linked to the source network, the intermediate network, and the destination network;
• the clearinghouse database comprising data for correlating telephone numbers and computer network addresses and data describing relationships between intermediate networks and destination networks, the clearinghouse database forming a list of one or more call paths that comprise at least one of an intermediate network for further routing the call and a destination network for completing the call, the clearinghouse database generating an authorization token for each network in a call path.

A method for completing a voice over Internet protocol phone call, comprising:

• scanning the Internet for destination networks that are able to complete the call;
• scanning the Internet for intermediate networks that are linked to one of another intermediate network and a destination network capable of completing the call;
• for each intermediate network that is discovered, determining if the intermediate network is capable of further routing the call to one of another intermediate network and destination network;
• forming a list of one or more call paths, each call path comprising at least one of an intermediate network and a destination network;
• generating an authorization token for each network in a call path;
• and
• ranking the list of call paths based on weights associated with each network in a call path.