A communication terminal, comprising: first transceiver means for transmitting to and receiving from at least one communication terminal directly; second transceiver means for transmitting to and receiving from at least one communication terminal via a communications network; and selecting means for selecting the transceiver means in order to communicate with the at least one communication terminal.

A telecommunications module includes a housing, a plurality of contacts, which are exposed to allow the connection of wires herewith, and a connecting device for connecting at least some of the contacts with other contacts of the telecommunications module, wherein the connecting device is partially accommodated in the housing an d partially extends outside the housing.

A telecommunications system comprising one or more cross-connects and a plurality of telephone exchanges wherein two or more of the telephone exchanges are arranged to communicate with each other via the one or more routers and an adapter for providing the telephone exchanges with a means of inter-communication via the one or more routers wherein the adapter converts traffic between packetised and non-packetised form.

Routing of packets is controlled in a communications network including an infrastructure of packet switching nodes interconnected by packet transport links, and a plurality of access nodes to which a routing path, defined by data held in packet switching nodes located along the routing path, may be directed in the infrastructure for a given network address.

In order to obtain further instruction from connected ISDN terminals, a service resource function is provided. The function is responsive to data carried over a separate data network to provide a prompt and collect service to a user of ISDN. The invention allows the addition of prompt and collect services such as account allocation to be provided.

An unshielded telecommunications cable with a nominal characteristic impedance of 100 ohms and a core with a maximum of six pairs of individually insulating conductor wires. The wire insulation is a flame retardant polyolefin base compound and the conductors of each pair are twisted together with a maximum twist lay of 2.3 inches. The core is surrounded by a flame retardant jacket.

In a telecommunications system such as a global mobile telephone network in which each subscriber unit includes a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM card), each SIM card has fixed memory locations (22), to which data can be addressed over the air. Some of the locations (22) can not be overwritten from the subscriber unit but can be accessed therefrom on the entry of short simple codes, each associated with one of the locations. Further fixed memory locations (24) can be read over the air only when ...

An asynchronous transfer mode adaptation layer switching network has independent call routing and connection control for setting up connections across the system. A plurality of adaptation layer switches (ALS) coupled to the ATM network comprise a group adapted to function as an adaptation layer switching network whose fabric and control are distributed over the group. The network having means for determining its current system status whereby to set up multimedia calls across the network based o...

A portable, hand-held data telecommunications terminal for use with a telephone system having a memory for storing data, a signal generator for generating signals corresponding to the data, a signal coupling device connected to the signal generator for coupling the signals to the telephone system, a keyboard, a microprocessor, and a self-contained power supply. The microprocessor is connected to the memory, the signal generator and the keyboard device so as to control, under the direction of the...

A centrally located processing unit controls the use of long-distance communication circuits and records the use of the circuits. The centrally located processing unit selects the least expensive telephone line available and instructs the remote satellite to thereby insure the optimum use of bulk rate communications lines. Where no desired bulk rate communication facility is available, a user enters a call-back number into the processing unit and is called back at that number when the facility b...