Abstract: A telephone network is provided with a service node SN (50) having an interface to the Internet. The SN (50) has a voice service browser (51) which it can use to access resources on the Internet, these resources preferably being held on WWW servers (52). A user of the telephone network places his own service logic programs, in the form of applets 55, on his WWW home page (53) together with content items such announcements and messages; these content items may be embedded in the applets (55) or held in separate files. When the SN (50) receives a service request to supply a service to a user identified as having his own service logic programs and content items available on the WWW, the voice service browser (51) reaches out over the WWW to retrieve the relevant service applet (55) and any associated content items. The voice service browser (51) then executes the applet (55) to provide the desired service including the delivery of content items through a text-to-voice converter or the like.

Abstract: Content items (49) are held on Internet servers (51) with each item being locatable at a corresponding URI and having an associated identifying number (“1234567”) that can be input using a telephone keypad. A PSTN is provided with an intelligent peripheal (70) that has connectivity with the Internet (50). To access a particular content item (49), a telephone user (A) inputs a service designator code (“333”) followed by the identifying number (“1234567”) of the required content item (49). The intelligent peripheral (70) translates the input identifying number to the URI of the required item. This URI is then used by the intelligent peripheral (70) to retrieve the required content item and deliver it to the telephone user (A), typically as a speech rendition of the item.