Abstract: A method of routing calls through a network (5) includes: receiving an incoming call at a signaling transfer point (STP); transferring information related to the incoming call to a routing engine by decoding ISUP signaling information related to the incoming call; determining an optimized route based at least in part on the transferred information; and signaling the STP to a destination number based on the optimized route.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first automated system monitors at least one call characteristic (e.g., frequency of abnormally short calls) to determine whether quality of service standards are being met by the various carriers being utilized by the system. Such an at least one call characteristic can be stored in a database for later retrieval by an automated link diagnosis system. If appropriate, a link re-routing system can respond to an analysis of the link diagnosis system in order to re-route calls—by either taking at least one link out of service or by placing at least one link back into service.