Importance

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Abstract

Users call ONE telephone number from their computer communication link-up. The call goes into a computer which has a large database of the many providers' access numbers. The computer identifies where the user is calling from via any identifying feature included in the invention. The computer figures out the most appropriate (e.g. cheapest/proximal/etc.) number the user should use to connect to the 'Net', which includes cost of the phone call and of the services provided by service providers. The computer then transmits this number back to the remote user, and electronically dials the local (and probably free) number to connect the user to the Net. The user may set up an account, or purchases one temporarily and gets charged for the service provided to him. Users are connected to information networks by providing a central processing station with a database including an index of network access numbers and associated charges for using the numbers. The central processing station is accessed from a remote computing device through a transmission line and identifying information is received by the remote computing device. The system compares the received information with the index of network access numbers stored in the database to determine a location of the remote computing device and to determine appropriate access numbers from the database index of network access numbers and then selects and downloads a most appropriate access number from the network access numbers to the remote computing device.

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First Claim