Introduction of a service switching and control point in the Telecom Ireland network

Telecom Ireland introduced an automatic Freephone service in April 1990. The service is provided from an AXE 211 exchange. This exchange was specifically commissioned for the provision of special services. At the moment it supports the Freephone and Part-Paid services and it is planned to introduce information services later this year. This article outlines the Freephone service requirements and how they are being met within the constraints of the existing network. The rationale behind Telecom Ireland's decision to adopt this evolutionary approach to intelligent network development is explained.