Abstract: Disclosed is a mechanism to control telecommunication connections via digital switching networks like the ISDN. Frequently observed scenarios are a caller who is connected to an answering machine, although he intended to talk to a human individual, or where a node is shared by more than one individual and the caller wants to talk to a definite person likewise. Subscriber information is interchanged between a calling device and a called device before setting up the connection which is utilized to inform the caller about the device type at the called side or to inform the called side about the desired person. In the ISDN, a called device sends an ALERTING message to a switching center before accepting the connection. The switching center forwards a part of that message to the calling device which includes the so-called USER—USER Information Element (UUIE). In that USER—USER IE, an information like “UNDER THE CALLED NUMBER AN ANSWERING MACHINE IS BECOMING ACTIVE” can be coded.