Call handling scheme to reduce roaming charges
View Patent ↗A second switch receives an indication from a roaming network that a call forwarded by the roaming network has been dropped by the roaming network, and in response to receiving the indication, forwards the call from a first switch.
1. A network element for forwarding a call while minimizing cost, the network element comprising:
a processor; and
logic that, when applied to the processor, results in
determining that providing a switch with generic call forwarding information will result in cost savings to a called party, and
providing the generic call forwarding information to the switch in place of call forwarding information that is specific to the called party,
wherein a generic number is provided to a roaming network from a home location register along with the generic call forwarding information, the generic number signaling the switch that a call should be dropped from the roaming network, the generic call forwarding information being predetermined without a particular subscriber's preferences.
2. The network element of claim 1 , further comprising:
logic to apply an E.164 address for the switch to determine that providing the switch with generic call forwarding information will result in cost savings to a called party.
3. The network element of claim 1 , further comprising:
logic to
determine that the called party's call forwarding information is the same for a plurality of conditions, and
providing the switch with generic call forwarding information.
4. The network element of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a query for call forwarding information for a roaming subscriber;
determining that calls to the roaming subscriber should be forwarded according to the generic call forwarding information;
providing the generic call forwarding information in response to the query in place of forwarding information that is specific to the subscriber.
5. The network element of claim 4 , wherein the call forwarding information includes a routing number to the switch.
6. The network element of claim 4 , wherein the routing number is the same for two or more of forward no-answer, forward busy, and forward do-not-disturb.