Methods and systems for providing wide-band voice service via a
telecommunications switch are described herein. A call can be initiated
from a wide-band telecommunications device (e.g., an IP telephone) to
another telecommunications device through a gateway (e.g., an IP gateway)
associated with one or more telecommunications networks, such as, for
example, a WAN, LAN and/or PSTN. One or more digital signals (e.g., 4 or
fewer DS0s) can then be reserved for the call, if a telecommunications
switch (e.g., a class 5 circuit switch, 5ESS.RTM., etc.) associated with
one or more of the telecommunications networks determines that at least
one timeslot is available to permit a transfer of the call to the other
telecommunications device. Thereafter, a wide-band signal converted from
the digital signal carrying the call from the gateway to the other
telecommunications device can be passed over a telecommunications
interface, such as a GR-303 connection, as determined by the
telecommunications switch to the other telecommunications device.