Importance

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Abstract

A third party tandem provider that intercepts and routes voice and data traffic between telecommunications carriers, e.g., wireless carriers, local exchange carriers, and long distance carriers, by dynamically determining the actual terminating switch for a call using a plurality of proprietary databases versus terminating calls merely based on the switch associated with the terminating telephone number. The tandem services provider Service Control Point (SCP) is arranged to maintain a carrier unit's status in a resident database or secure such information per call from the terminating carrier's database. When a call is placed to a telephone number associated with a carrier connected to the tandem, the tandem platform Service Switching Point (SSP) queries the SCP for availability and routing instructions. In response, the SCP accesses its database and/or the terminating carrier's database to determine the status of the unit. If the unit is available, the SCP sends the SSP the unit's current service address (e.g., IP address, telephone number, location routing number) to route the call to the switching location currently serving the subscriber unit. If the unit is unavailable, the SCP sends the SSP the information to route the call to the home switch associated with the called unit for announcement, voice mail, or other treatment. The terminating carrier thus avoids the internal routing inefficiencies of re-directing the call within its network.

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