Abstract: By teleconferencing participants (201-1-201-N.sub.1, 202-1-202-N.sub.2, 203-1-203-N.sub.3), who are grouped in diverse geographic locations with a multi-stage system, a significant improvement in the use of interexchange facilities is achieved. The signals transmitted by the telecommunications devices (e.g., telephones) of a group of conference participants located in the same general geographic area are inputted to a first stage bridge (210, 211, 212). Each first stage bridge measures the signal power of each signal and outputs on separate telephone circuits (218, 219, 220), a predetermined number of signals (for example, three) that have the highest signal power. These three signals are transmitted on the interexchange facilities (206) to a second stage bridge (216) to which similar groups of signals from other first stage bridges in other locations are also transmitted.

Abstract: Reliability of telephone service is increased by providing a test call apparatus configured to launch a test call to a preselected telephone number in response to a call from a remote location requesting that the test call be placed. The test call apparatus launches the test call as if the call were being made from the user-supplied originating area code, exchange, or phone number. The test call apparatus then bridges the requesting call and the test call to facilitate analysis of the routing of the test call.

Abstract: Increased reliability for intelligent call processing systems is provided by collecting information from communications between the network database, the subscriber database, and the network switch. Message transfers between these network elements are monitored and correlated to identify those messages corresponding to a particular call. The messages for the call are analyzed to determine which database generated the instructions for routing the call. In particular, by comparing the routing number returned to the interexchange switch with the routing instruction information supplied by the subscriber's database, it can be determined whether the call was routed according to instructions from the subscriber's database.