In a broadband access network, calls can be kept active even when a telephone network fails. A voice gateway function captures callee telephone number information sent from a caller subscriber telephone to the telephone network and, when the telephone network fails, keeps the call active by retaining the connection between the caller and the callee. Furthermore, when the telephone network fails, the operation mode of the voice gateway and all ONTs is switched from an H.248 gateway mode to an SIP softswitch mode, allowing the voice gateway function to relay communication packets between ONTs and new call connections to be made in the broadband access network.