Abstract

A telephone system is disclosed including hotel and motel private branch exchanges (PBXs), a local step-by-step exchange serving the PBXs, and a remote message accounting center. A call data accumulator at the local exchange monitors line finders and cooperates with automatic number identification circuits to transmit to the accounting center call information such as calling and called subscriber numbers and answer and disconnect times. The accounting center computes usage-sensitive billing data for local calls based on the distance between calling and called subscribers and call duration. The accounting center further transmits usage-sensitive hotel/motel message register pulsing information to pulsing circuitry, including a microprocessor, at the local exchange. The pulsing circuitry, in turn, operates identified hotel/motel message registers in accordance with the information received from the accounting center.