1. A videophone system including a plurality of videophones, wherein at least one videophone is connected to a videophone interface unit, the system comprising: an adapter connected to and configured for affording communication with said videophone over a PSTN network or over a broadband network; processor means for selectably linking said videophone to said PSTN network or to said broadband network, wherein the videophone can selectably receive and make calls on the PSTN network or the broadband network; and an operations center connected to said broadband network and having means for storing information related to at least one user of said videophone, said operations center being configured to communicate with said videophone over said broadband network, wherein said operations center includes means for determining information indicating whether a calling and a called party each have a videophone, and means for communicating such information to said videophone interface unit, and wherein said videophone interface unit includes means for selectably routing a call over said broadband network or PSTN network.
2. The videophone system of claim 1 wherein said videophone system includes at least one PSTN telephone which is connected to the PSTN network and to the videophone interface unit, and wherein said videophone interface unit includes means for both the PSTN telephone and said videophone to alert a user when there is an incoming call on either the PSTN network or the broadband network.
3. The video system of claim 2 wherein said videophone interface unit includes means for isolating said PSTN telephone from the PSTN network.
4. The videophone system of claim 3 further comprising means for using the same telephone number for said videophone and said PSTN telephone.
5. The videophone system of claim 1 wherein the videophone interface unit includes means for causing an incoming call on the broadband network to have a different alert on said videophone than an incoming call on the PSTN network.
6. The videophone system of claim 1 wherein said videophone interface unit includes means for selectably routing an audio and video call made on said videophone over the broadband network, and an audio only call made on said videophone over the PSTN network.
7. The videophone system of claim 1 wherein said videophone interface unit includes means for selectably routing an audio and video call made on said videophone over the broadband network, and an audio only call made on said videophone over the broadband network as a voice over internet protocol (VoIP) call.
8. A method for providing a connection using a videophone system including at least one videophone, said method comprising: configuring the videophone for communication with a PSTN network or a broadband network; determining which of the PSTN or broadband networks to use for routing a call from a calling party to a called party based upon whether the PSTN or broadband network is available to the called party, or determining which of the PSTN or broadband networks to use for routing the call based upon which of the networks is used by the calling party; storing information related to at least the calling or called party in an operations center connected to the broadband network, said operations center being configured to communicate with the videophone over the broadband network, wherein the operations center includes means for determining information indicating whether a calling and a called party each have a videophone, and means for communicating such information to a videophone interface unit, and wherein said videophone interface unit includes means for selectably routing a call over the broadband or PSTN network.
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