Method and system for providing multiple classes of telephone access service

Abstract

A telecommunications method and system for providing and monitoring multiple classes of service to users seeking dial-up access to a given resource. Incoming calls from two user groups, one group subscribing to a first service level and the other group subscribing to a second service level, are initially assigned to open circuits in a first shared dial hunt group. When all circuits are busy, only calls from users subscribing to the second service level are routed to open circuits in a second dedicated dial hunt group so that second level service subscribers will have fewer calls blocked than first level service subscribers. In an alternative implementation, calls from users subscribing to a first service level are routed only to open circuits in a first dial hunt group and calls from users subscribing to a second service level are routed initially to open circuits in a second dial hunt group. When all circuits in the second dial hunt group are busy, calls from second level service subscribers are routed to the first dial hunt group. Service levels are monitored by placing test calls and measuring the number of blocked calls. Hunt group capacities can then be adjusted accordingly.