Dynamic shared facility system for private networks

Abstract

This invention relates to a dynamically shared facility network (DSFN) providing private network service to a plurality of customers using switched facilities of a common carrier network. A plurality of serving offices are connected via access links to customer telecommunications equipment. A pool of channels is dedicated to providing communications for private network service among these serving offices. In response to a request from a customer, connections are set up in the serving offices between access links and members of the pool of channels, in order to interconnect the serving links sought to be connected by the request. Where tandem connections between serving offices are necessary, connections are set up between members of the pool of channels. In case of failure of one or more channels, a new connection is automatically established. Advantageously, communication channels of the large communications facilities of a public switched network can be allocated to the DSFN, thus achieving economies of scale, and thus permitting use of the large and flexible switching systems of the public switched network to control and switch channels of the DSFN.