Association of digital communication network customers with network signaling tunnels

1. A communication system, comprising:

a digital communication network comprising a first network endpoint, a second network endpoint, and a signaling server, wherein the first network endpoint is coupled with the signaling server over a first signaling tunnel through the digital communication network and the second network endpoint is coupled with the signaling server over a second signaling tunnel through the digital communication network;

a billing system in communication with the signaling server;

wherein the first signaling tunnel is defined by a first network address for the first network endpoint and a second network address for the signaling server;

wherein the first network endpoint is configured to aggregate signaling associated exclusively with a customer over the first signaling tunnel;

wherein the signaling server is configured to associate the customer with the first signaling tunnel;

wherein the signaling server is configured to set up, via the first and second signaling tunnels, a telephone call between the first and second network endpoints over a bearer channel through the digital communication network; and

wherein the signaling server is configured to provide an identification of the customer with the telephone call to the billing system, wherein the identification of the customer comprises a call data record comprising an identification of the first signaling tunnel.

2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the digital communication network comprises a Voice over Internet Protocol network.

3. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first network endpoint and the signaling server comprises one of a softswitch and a media gateway controller.

4. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the signaling conforms to a Session Initiation Protocol.

5. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the signaling server is further configured to provide at least one of a duration and a bandwidth of the telephone call to the billing system.

6. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first network endpoint comprises one of an originating end and a terminating end of the telephone call.

7. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the customer is also associated with the second signaling tunnel.

8. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the signaling server is further configured to generate a rate plan based upon the first and second signaling tunnels.

9. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the signaling server is further configured to set a traffic capacity for the first signaling tunnel.

10. The communication system of claim 9 , wherein the traffic capacity comprises a number of simultaneous calls.

11. A signaling server for a digital communication network, the signaling server comprising:

an interface configured to couple the signaling server with a first network endpoint over a first signaling tunnel through the digital communication network and to couple the signaling server with a second network endpoint over a second signaling tunnel through the digital communication network, wherein the first signaling tunnel is defined by a first network address for the first network endpoint and a second network address for the signaling server, and wherein the first network endpoint is configured to aggregate signaling associated exclusively with a customer over the first signaling tunnel; and

a processor configured to associate the customer with the first signaling tunnel and to set up, via the first and second signaling tunnels, a telephone call over a bearer channel of the digital communication network between the first network endpoint and the second network endpoint, and to provide an identification of the customer with the telephone call to a billing system, wherein the identification of the customer comprises a call data record comprising an identification of the first signaling tunnel.

12. The signaling server of claim 11 , wherein the digital communication network comprises a Voice over Internet Protocol network.

13. The signaling server of claim 11 , wherein the signaling conforms to a Session Initiation Protocol.

14. The signaling server of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to provide at least one of a duration and a bandwidth of the telephone call to the billing system.

15. The signaling server of claim 11 , wherein the customer is also associated with the second signaling tunnel.

16. The signaling server of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate a rate plan based upon the first and second signaling tunnels.

17. The signaling server of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further configured to set a traffic capacity for the first signaling tunnel.

18. The signaling server of claim 17 , wherein the traffic capacity comprises a number of simultaneous calls.

19. A method for identifying a customer of a digital communication network, the method comprising:

coupling a first network endpoint with a signaling server over a first signaling tunnel through the digital communication network;

coupling a second network endpoint with the signaling server over a second signaling tunnel through the digital communication network;

defining the first signaling tunnel by a first network address for the first network endpoint and a second network address for the signaling server;

aggregating signaling associated exclusively with a customer over the first signaling tunnel;

associating the customer with the first signaling tunnel;

setting up, via the first and second signaling tunnels, a telephone call over a bearer channel through the digital communication network between the first and second network endpoints; and

providing an identification of the customer with the telephone call to a billing system, wherein providing the identification of the customer comprises providing a call data record comprising an identification of the first signaling tunnel.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the digital communication network comprises a Voice over Internet Protocol network.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the signaling conforms to a Session Initiation Protocol.

22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising providing at least one of a duration and a bandwidth of the telephone call to the billing system.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein the first network endpoint comprises one of an originating end and a terminating end of the telephone call.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the customer is also associated with the second signaling tunnel.

25. The method of claim 19 , further comprising generating a rate plan based upon the first signaling tunnel and the second signaling tunnel.

26. The method of claim 19 , further comprising setting a traffic capacity for the first signaling tunnel.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the traffic capacity comprises a number of simultaneous calls.

28. A storage medium comprising instructions executable on a processor for employing the method of claim 19 .