Method and apparatus for identifying and handling on-line access calls within a switch

Method and apparatus for identifying on-line access calls in a network switch. The switch determines which calls are to an on-line service provider, usually an Internet service provider or ISP. The switch then determines if the service provider has enough ports available to handle the call, and if the connection to a dedicated data network has enough capacity. The call can then be handled as an on-line access call and routed accordingly. The initial determination as to whether the call is an on-line access call can be made by analyzing information received when the call is initiated such as the called party number digits or by a query initiated by an advanced intelligent network (AIN) trigger.