A process and apparatus to facilitate communication between callers and callees in a system comprising a plurality of nodes with which callers and callees are associated is disclosed. In response to initiation of a call by a calling subscriber, a caller identifier and a callee identifier are received. Call classification criteria associated with the caller identifier are used to classify the call as a public network call or a private network call. A routing message identifying an address, on the private network, associated with the callee is produced when the call is classified as a private network call and a routing message identifying a gateway to the public network is produced when the call is classified as a public network call.

A computer-implemented video visitation system of a correctional facility includes an administrator computer device in communication with a visitation services computer system and a database. The administrator computer device is configured, via an administrator interface displayed on the administrative computer device, to enable or disable privileges for selected inmates in the inmate population allowing inmates access to the visitation services computer system, and set visitation session preferences including maximum visitation session length and visitation session cost that applies to the visitation services. The visitation services computer system is configured to receive requests for audio/video visitation sessions initiated by incarcerated inmates, confirm that each request involves an authorized registered incarcerated inmate or an authorized registered remote non-incarcerated visitor, transmit invitations to the respective recipients in response to each received request for an audio/video visitation session, and automatically establish interconnections between visitor computer devices at the remote locations and inmate computer devices in the correctional facility without requiring endpoint control to schedule or initiate a visitation session by administrative personnel of the correctional facility.

An example communications routing system includes a prediction engine to, for each user account, generate a predicted cost of communications events using a gamma-gamma cost model, generate a predicted revenue of presented advertisements using a gamma-gamma revenue model, generate a margin based on the predicted cost and the predicted revenue, and, when the margin for a given user account is below a margin threshold, restrict a status associated with the given user account.

A method includes receiving, at a first network element of a network, a message to initiate a session of a communication service at a user device. The user device is associated with a plurality of billing accounts. The message includes a particular identifier of multiple identifiers associated with the user device. Each billing account of the plurality of billing accounts is associated with a respective identifier of the multiple identifiers. The method includes initiating the session via the first network element. The method also includes sending, from the first network element to a usage data processing system, a charge data record. The charge data record includes the particular identifier. The usage data processing system aggregates charge data records for the session from multiple network elements used during the session to enable the session to be billed to a particular billing account of the billing accounts corresponding to the particular identifier.

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining a message associated with a 5th Generation (5G) wireless service, the message containing: a first section including a service type identifier entry and a first timestamp that corresponds to the service type identifier entry; and a second section including a secondary radio access technology (RAT) entry, one or more data volume entries, and a second timestamp that corresponds to the secondary RAT entry and to the one or more data volume entries; matching the first timestamp and the second timestamp based upon a first value of the first timestamp equaling a second value of the second timestamp; and responsive to the matching of the first timestamp and the second timestamp, associating the service type identifier entry of the first section with the one or more data volume entries of the second section. Other embodiments are disclosed.

A method and apparatus for reducing the cost of long distance phone calls is disclosed. Accordingly, an originating phone network is operatively connected to a first intermediate point, and a receiving phone network is operatively connected to a second intermediate point. Each intermediate point is operatively connected to communicate via a data network. Users on the originating and destination phone networks may communicate based on virtual numbers. The virtual number is preferably within the local calling area of the originating phone network. The first and second intermediate points route calls to any geographic location, regardless of distance, over the data network based on the virtual number. This provides the advantage of allowing a user on the originating phone network to access a user at a distant location for a price that is substantially similar to the price of a local call.

A variety of methods, systems, devices and arrangements are implemented for assessing and/or controlling call routing for Internet-based (e.g., VoIP/VioIP) calls. According to one such method, endpoint devices are used to monitor and/or assess the call-quality. The assessment is sent to a centralized server arrangement and call-routing is controlled therefrom. Endpoint devices employ a decentralized testing mechanism to further monitor and assess call quality including the use of test connections. Aspects of call quality are analyzed and attributed to endpoint devices and/or local connections or networks to distinguish intermediate routing issues from local/endpoint issues.

A subscriber communicates over an IP-based wireless telecommunications network through an access point. Identifiers associated with the access point (e.g., MAC address IP address, FQDN . . . ) are stored in a database. Each access point is mapped into one or more service zones, where service zones are mapped to service types. The subscriber has a rate plan that is based on a selection of one or more service types. When a wireless connection between the subscriber and the IP-based wireless telecommunications network is established, the access point identifiers are used to retrieve a service zone ID from the database. Upon completion of the communication, a call detail record can be generated that includes the service zone ID for the communication. The billing system can then retrieve billing plan information to determine an appropriate rate for the subscriber based on the service zone ID.

A telecommunications service provider's real time analysis system analyzes communications data to detect potentially fraudulent communications data, where the analysis is performed in real time in the routing path of the communications data. The communications data may include calls (e.g., SS7, VoIP, etc. based calls) and messages (e.g., SMS, MMS, etc.). The real time analysis system rejects potentially fraudulent communications data and non-fraudulent communications data in order to be used in real time in the routing path of the communications data. A rejection by the real time analysis system may cause non-fraudulent communications data to still be sent to the intended destination of the communications data. The real time analysis system can be in the routing path of the communications data without further routing non-fraudulent communications data traffic to the next appropriate hop in the routing path.

An incoming communication processing system and method is disclosed for providing communication and data services to residents of a controlled facility. Specifically, the incoming communication processing system allows outside parties to initiate communications to residents of a controlled facility. The incoming communication processing system may work in conjunction with or separately from an outgoing communication processing system. Many restrictions and safeguards may be implemented within the incoming communication system in order to prevent improper use.