{"industry":{"id":"ff619d7c-d7d7-485e-a05a-53fba07f33ed","slug":"telecommunications","label":"Telecommunications","description":"Business voice, fiber, UCaaS, and network services"},"topic":{"slug":"teams-phone","label":"Teams Phone","description":"Microsoft Teams Phone: licensing, PSTN connectivity, calling plans, and setup.","schemaKind":null},"answer":{"id":"bd0a9236-7db8-411d-a1dc-299b6dfe30a4","slug":"can-teams-phone-make-and-receive-calls-to-landlines-and-mobile-phones","question":"Can Teams Phone make and receive calls to landlines and mobile phones?","answerMarkdown":"Yes. Teams Phone can place and answer calls to and from ordinary landline and mobile numbers, but only after two separate pieces are in place: a Teams Phone license assigned to the user, and a connection to the public switched telephone network, or PSTN, that supplies the phone numbers and the route to the outside world.[1][2] Calls between people inside the same organization run natively over the internet and never touch the phone network, so the license and the PSTN connection matter specifically for reaching external numbers.[1] Microsoft supports four ways to make that PSTN connection, and a Microsoft Calling Plan, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, or Direct Routing each let a voice-enabled user dial out and take inbound calls on a real phone number.[2] Microsoft's product page states plainly that Teams Phone lets you make and receive voice and video calls over the PSTN or an internet connection, from the Teams apps on a computer, a mobile device, or a certified desk phone.[5][6]","answerText":"Yes. Teams Phone can place and answer calls to and from ordinary landline and mobile numbers, but only after two separate pieces are in place: a Teams Phone license assigned to the user, and a connection to the public switched telephone network, or PSTN, that supplies the phone numbers and the route to the outside world.[1][2] Calls between people inside the same organization run natively over the internet and never touch the phone network, so the license and the PSTN connection matter specifically for reaching external numbers.[1] Microsoft supports four ways to make that PSTN connection, and a Microsoft Calling Plan, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, or Direct Routing each let a voice-enabled user dial out and take inbound calls on a real phone number.[2] Microsoft's product page states plainly that Teams Phone lets you make and receive voice and video calls over the PSTN or an internet connection, from the Teams apps on a computer, a mobile device, or a certified desk phone.[5][6]","answerHtml":"

Yes. Teams Phone can place and answer calls to and from ordinary landline and mobile numbers, but only after two separate pieces are in place: a Teams Phone license assigned to the user, and a connection to the public switched telephone network, or PSTN, that supplies the phone numbers and the route to the outside world.[1][2] Calls between people inside the same organization run natively over the internet and never touch the phone network, so the license and the PSTN connection matter specifically for reaching external numbers.[1] Microsoft supports four ways to make that PSTN connection, and a Microsoft Calling Plan, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, or Direct Routing each let a voice-enabled user dial out and take inbound calls on a real phone number.[2] Microsoft's product page states plainly that Teams Phone lets you make and receive voice and video calls over the PSTN or an internet connection, from the Teams apps on a computer, a mobile device, or a certified desk phone.[5][6]

\n","summary":"Teams Phone can call landlines and mobiles and receive calls from them, but only once a user has a Teams Phone license and a connection to the public phone network. Microsoft offers four ways to make that connection: its own Calling Plan, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, and Direct Routing. Internal Teams calls stay free over the internet, while external calling adds minutes, per-country availability limits, and emergency-address setup. Teams Phone Standard lists at about $10 per user per month before a calling plan.","publishedAt":"2026-07-18T03:39:01.233","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","editorialStatus":"APPROVED","lastReviewedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","nextReviewDueAt":"2026-10-17T00:00:00","templateVersion":"v2","aliases":["Can Microsoft Teams Phone call regular phone numbers?","Does Teams Phone let you call landlines and cell phones?","Can Teams make and receive external phone calls?","Can you call outside numbers from Microsoft Teams?","Does Teams Phone work with the PSTN?","Can Teams Phone receive calls from landlines and mobiles?","How does Teams Phone call external phone numbers?","Can Microsoft Teams call cell phones?","Does Teams Phone need a calling plan to call landlines?","Can Teams dial a phone number?","Does Teams Phone do inbound and outbound PSTN calling?","Can Teams Phone replace my desk phone line?"],"confidenceScore":94,"confidenceLabel":"High","canonicalUrl":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"contributorOrganizationProfile":{"entityId":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","legalName":null,"description":null,"websiteUrl":null,"imageUrl":null,"slogan":null,"subtitle":null,"facts":[],"coiNote":null,"foundingDate":null,"numberOfEmployeesText":null,"contactPoint":null,"address":null,"headquartersText":null,"organizationType":null},"contributorPerson":{"slug":"answerstack-editorial-team","displayName":"AnswerStack Editorial Team"},"sections":[{"id":"8bb199ce-5279-4a14-9015-133b8316642b","sectionKey":"can_it_call_landlines_and_mobiles","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Can Teams Phone really call landlines and mobiles?","introMarkdown":"Yes, and the calling capability is part of Microsoft's cloud phone system rather than a separate app you bolt on afterward. Microsoft describes Teams Phone as its technology for call control and private branch exchange (PBX) features in the Microsoft 365 cloud, and by default it keeps calls between colleagues inside Teams, carried over the internet, so those internal calls never reach the public switched telephone network and carry no operator toll charge.[1] Reaching a regular phone number, whether a landline in an office or a mobile in someone's pocket, is exactly what the PSTN side of the service handles.[1][2]\n\n### Two things have to line up\n\nMicrosoft keeps the phone-system software and the phone line deliberately separate, and both are required before a user can dial out or take an inbound call from a normal number. The first is a Teams Phone license on that user, which grants the enhanced calling features and access to a PSTN solution. The second is the PSTN solution itself, which gives your tenant its phone numbers and the connection to domestic, international, and emergency calling.[1][2] A user who holds the license but has no PSTN connection can still call other Teams users, yet cannot place a call to a landline or mobile until that connection exists.[2]\n\n### The connection is a choice, not a single product\n\nMicrosoft supports several methods for the PSTN link and lets one organization mix them, so a company can hand Microsoft the whole job in one country and keep an existing carrier in another.[2] Independent telecom guidance makes the same point in plainer terms: without a PSTN service, Teams supports only calls between users on the platform, and Microsoft's own Calling Plans are not sold in every country, which is often what pushes a business toward one of the other methods.[9] Once the license and a PSTN connection are both live, a voice-enabled user can place and receive calls to telephone numbers, transfer them, and handle them from a computer, a mobile device, or an IP desk phone.[6]","introHtml":"

Yes, and the calling capability is part of Microsoft's cloud phone system rather than a separate app you bolt on afterward. Microsoft describes Teams Phone as its technology for call control and private branch exchange (PBX) features in the Microsoft 365 cloud, and by default it keeps calls between colleagues inside Teams, carried over the internet, so those internal calls never reach the public switched telephone network and carry no operator toll charge.[1] Reaching a regular phone number, whether a landline in an office or a mobile in someone's pocket, is exactly what the PSTN side of the service handles.[1][2]

\n

Two things have to line up

\n

Microsoft keeps the phone-system software and the phone line deliberately separate, and both are required before a user can dial out or take an inbound call from a normal number. The first is a Teams Phone license on that user, which grants the enhanced calling features and access to a PSTN solution. The second is the PSTN solution itself, which gives your tenant its phone numbers and the connection to domestic, international, and emergency calling.[1][2] A user who holds the license but has no PSTN connection can still call other Teams users, yet cannot place a call to a landline or mobile until that connection exists.[2]

\n

The connection is a choice, not a single product

\n

Microsoft supports several methods for the PSTN link and lets one organization mix them, so a company can hand Microsoft the whole job in one country and keep an existing carrier in another.[2] Independent telecom guidance makes the same point in plainer terms: without a PSTN service, Teams supports only calls between users on the platform, and Microsoft's own Calling Plans are not sold in every country, which is often what pushes a business toward one of the other methods.[9] Once the license and a PSTN connection are both live, a voice-enabled user can place and receive calls to telephone numbers, transfer them, and handle them from a computer, a mobile device, or an IP desk phone.[6]

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":0},{"id":"788a2abb-ad56-40ee-aae6-38befd57b386","sectionKey":"pstn_options_table","sectionType":"table_section","heading":"How does Teams reach the phone network?","introMarkdown":"Teams Phone reaches outside numbers through one of four PSTN connectivity models, and the practical differences come down to who your carrier is, what hardware you run, and where each option is sold.[2] The table sums them up, and each option gets a fuller explanation below.","introHtml":"

Teams Phone reaches outside numbers through one of four PSTN connectivity models, and the practical differences come down to who your carrier is, what hardware you run, and where each option is sold.[2] The table sums them up, and each option gets a fuller explanation below.

\n","outroMarkdown":"Every option still needs a Teams Phone license on each user. The choice changes who supplies the line and the numbers, not whether the license is required.[2][4]","outroHtml":"

Every option still needs a Teams Phone license on each user. The choice changes who supplies the line and the numbers, not whether the license is required.[2][4]

\n","contentJson":{"rows":[{"cells":["Microsoft Calling Plan","Microsoft","Nothing; Microsoft runs it","Countries where Calling Plans are sold and you want a single Microsoft-run setup [2][3]"]},{"cells":["Operator Connect","A certified landline operator","Nothing; the operator runs it","Your preferred carrier is in the program, or Calling Plans are not sold in your country [2]"]},{"cells":["Teams Phone Mobile","A certified mobile operator","A mobile SIM, which can be an eSIM","Staff who want one SIM mobile number that is also their Teams number [2]"]},{"cells":["Direct Routing","Any operator you choose","A certified session border controller (SBC) and its configuration","Keeping an existing carrier, meeting local rules, or connecting legacy PBX and analog gear [2]"]}],"columns":["Connectivity option","Who is your PSTN carrier","What you manage","Where it tends to fit"]},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":1},{"id":"ac045249-0034-4047-b9fb-2c21099531b9","sectionKey":"microsoft_calling_plan","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Microsoft Calling Plan","introMarkdown":"A Microsoft Calling Plan makes Microsoft your phone company, so the numbers, the outbound and inbound minutes, US emergency screening, and support all come from Microsoft under a 99.999% reliability service level agreement.[2][5] It is the most direct route to calling landlines and mobiles because there is no third-party carrier or hardware to arrange: you add the plan as a license on top of Teams Phone and assign each user a number.[3] The first thing to confirm is availability, since Calling Plans are sold only in a set list of countries, and a company outside that list uses one of the other three methods.[2][3]\n\n### Domestic, international, and pay-as-you-go\n\nMicrosoft sells the Calling Plan in three shapes so you can match it to how much people actually call out.[3] A Domestic Calling Plan lets a licensed user call numbers inside the country tied to their Microsoft 365 license and includes unlimited incoming minutes, with a monthly pool of outbound minutes shared across users on the same plan.[3] An International Calling Plan adds outbound minutes to numbers in 196 countries on top of that domestic allowance.[3] A Pay-As-You-Go plan includes unlimited incoming minutes but no bundled outbound minutes, billing each outbound call by the minute through Communications Credits or post-usage billing, which suits people who rarely dial out.[3] When a user's calls run past the pooled minutes or reach a destination the plan does not cover, Communications Credits fund the overflow so calls still connect.[6]","introHtml":"

A Microsoft Calling Plan makes Microsoft your phone company, so the numbers, the outbound and inbound minutes, US emergency screening, and support all come from Microsoft under a 99.999% reliability service level agreement.[2][5] It is the most direct route to calling landlines and mobiles because there is no third-party carrier or hardware to arrange: you add the plan as a license on top of Teams Phone and assign each user a number.[3] The first thing to confirm is availability, since Calling Plans are sold only in a set list of countries, and a company outside that list uses one of the other three methods.[2][3]

\n

Domestic, international, and pay-as-you-go

\n

Microsoft sells the Calling Plan in three shapes so you can match it to how much people actually call out.[3] A Domestic Calling Plan lets a licensed user call numbers inside the country tied to their Microsoft 365 license and includes unlimited incoming minutes, with a monthly pool of outbound minutes shared across users on the same plan.[3] An International Calling Plan adds outbound minutes to numbers in 196 countries on top of that domestic allowance.[3] A Pay-As-You-Go plan includes unlimited incoming minutes but no bundled outbound minutes, billing each outbound call by the minute through Communications Credits or post-usage billing, which suits people who rarely dial out.[3] When a user's calls run past the pooled minutes or reach a destination the plan does not cover, Communications Credits fund the overflow so calls still connect.[6]

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":2},{"id":"b2222e78-57ae-4583-a98b-a7ecbd545d58","sectionKey":"operator_connect","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Operator Connect","introMarkdown":"Operator Connect lets you keep or pick a third-party landline carrier that has already built a certified connection into Teams, so you get its numbers and dial tone without running any voice hardware.[2] After choosing an operator from Microsoft's directory, you enable it in the Teams admin center and assign its numbers to your users, and that operator supplies the PSTN access, support, and service level agreement.[2] It tends to fit a business whose preferred carrier is already in the program, or one in a country where Microsoft's own Calling Plan is not sold.[2] Because the operator owns the underlying connection, most of the setup and ongoing management sits with them rather than your IT team, which is usually the reason a company chooses it.[2]","introHtml":"

Operator Connect lets you keep or pick a third-party landline carrier that has already built a certified connection into Teams, so you get its numbers and dial tone without running any voice hardware.[2] After choosing an operator from Microsoft's directory, you enable it in the Teams admin center and assign its numbers to your users, and that operator supplies the PSTN access, support, and service level agreement.[2] It tends to fit a business whose preferred carrier is already in the program, or one in a country where Microsoft's own Calling Plan is not sold.[2] Because the operator owns the underlying connection, most of the setup and ongoing management sits with them rather than your IT team, which is usually the reason a company chooses it.[2]

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":3},{"id":"59b6f1a3-4eda-4936-8962-6275ee2310c8","sectionKey":"teams_phone_mobile","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Teams Phone Mobile","introMarkdown":"Teams Phone Mobile ties a user's SIM-enabled mobile number to their Teams identity, so a single number rings on the cellular network and inside Teams.[2] It relies on certified mobile operators that have completed the integration with Microsoft, and the mobile SIM, which can be an eSIM, is the piece you administer.[2] This fits mobile-first staff who would rather carry one number for the desk app and the handset than juggle separate work and personal lines.[2] Availability depends on whether a given mobile provider takes part in the Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile program, so it is worth checking with the carrier before you plan around it.[2]","introHtml":"

Teams Phone Mobile ties a user's SIM-enabled mobile number to their Teams identity, so a single number rings on the cellular network and inside Teams.[2] It relies on certified mobile operators that have completed the integration with Microsoft, and the mobile SIM, which can be an eSIM, is the piece you administer.[2] This fits mobile-first staff who would rather carry one number for the desk app and the handset than juggle separate work and personal lines.[2] Availability depends on whether a given mobile provider takes part in the Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile program, so it is worth checking with the carrier before you plan around it.[2]

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":4},{"id":"9efeab2b-872c-4a78-ac43-2e1e0878ba33","sectionKey":"direct_routing","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Direct Routing","introMarkdown":"Direct Routing connects a carrier of your choice to Teams Phone through a certified session border controller, or SBC, that you, an integrator, or a Direct-Routing-as-a-Service provider run.[2] It is the most flexible model and works in any country, which is why organizations pick it to keep an existing carrier contract, satisfy a local regulatory requirement, or connect legacy equipment such as analog devices, overhead paging, and third-party PBXs.[2] The trade-off is responsibility, because the SBC brings certificate management, DNS settings, call-routing policies in Teams, and last-mile circuit integration, so it asks more of your team or your partner than the managed options do.[2] Direct Routing is also the only model that can keep local PSTN calls working through a Survivable Branch Appliance if the link to the cloud is interrupted.[2]","introHtml":"

Direct Routing connects a carrier of your choice to Teams Phone through a certified session border controller, or SBC, that you, an integrator, or a Direct-Routing-as-a-Service provider run.[2] It is the most flexible model and works in any country, which is why organizations pick it to keep an existing carrier contract, satisfy a local regulatory requirement, or connect legacy equipment such as analog devices, overhead paging, and third-party PBXs.[2] The trade-off is responsibility, because the SBC brings certificate management, DNS settings, call-routing policies in Teams, and last-mile circuit integration, so it asks more of your team or your partner than the managed options do.[2] Direct Routing is also the only model that can keep local PSTN calls working through a Survivable Branch Appliance if the link to the cloud is interrupted.[2]

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":5},{"id":"fb134f7c-bbcc-4a3b-b08f-a01f577761dd","sectionKey":"what_calling_looks_like","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"What making and receiving calls actually looks like","introMarkdown":"Placing an external call is a matter of dialing a number in the Teams dial pad, typing it into the search bar, or clicking a name in the directory, and inbound calls from landlines and mobiles ring the Teams apps like any other call, once a user is voice enabled and holds both the license and a PSTN connection.[4][6] Microsoft's feature list is explicit that answering and initiating calls by PSTN phone number requires the Teams Phone license, which is the line between basic Teams-to-Teams calling and full external calling.[4]\n\n### The inbound and outbound features you would expect\n\nExternal caller ID shows the number the phone company passes through and matches it to your directory when the caller is a known contact.[4] Call forwarding and simultaneous ring can send an incoming call to any Teams colleague or to an outside PSTN number, so a call can follow someone to their mobile.[4] Users can transfer an external call to another person, park it and pick it up on another device, block a nuisance PSTN number, and send unanswered calls to voicemail that lands in their mailbox as an email attachment.[4] Independent telecom guidance describes the same flow from the user's side: dial external numbers over the PSTN, or answer them, from a desktop or a smartphone once the Teams Phone license and PSTN connection are in place.[10]\n\n### Where the call happens\n\nMicrosoft's guidance is that Teams Phone users place and receive calls on their mobile devices, a headset with a laptop or PC, or one of the many IP phones certified for Teams, so the same phone number is reachable across whatever device someone is using.[6] A call in progress can even move from a PC to the mobile app without dropping, which helps when someone needs to leave the office in the middle of a conversation.[4]","introHtml":"

Placing an external call is a matter of dialing a number in the Teams dial pad, typing it into the search bar, or clicking a name in the directory, and inbound calls from landlines and mobiles ring the Teams apps like any other call, once a user is voice enabled and holds both the license and a PSTN connection.[4][6] Microsoft's feature list is explicit that answering and initiating calls by PSTN phone number requires the Teams Phone license, which is the line between basic Teams-to-Teams calling and full external calling.[4]

\n

The inbound and outbound features you would expect

\n

External caller ID shows the number the phone company passes through and matches it to your directory when the caller is a known contact.[4] Call forwarding and simultaneous ring can send an incoming call to any Teams colleague or to an outside PSTN number, so a call can follow someone to their mobile.[4] Users can transfer an external call to another person, park it and pick it up on another device, block a nuisance PSTN number, and send unanswered calls to voicemail that lands in their mailbox as an email attachment.[4] Independent telecom guidance describes the same flow from the user's side: dial external numbers over the PSTN, or answer them, from a desktop or a smartphone once the Teams Phone license and PSTN connection are in place.[10]

\n

Where the call happens

\n

Microsoft's guidance is that Teams Phone users place and receive calls on their mobile devices, a headset with a laptop or PC, or one of the many IP phones certified for Teams, so the same phone number is reachable across whatever device someone is using.[6] A call in progress can even move from a PC to the mobile app without dropping, which helps when someone needs to leave the office in the middle of a conversation.[4]

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":6},{"id":"06ca779e-bffb-4017-9321-91c3cc8c5b87","sectionKey":"trade_offs","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Trade-offs and limits worth knowing","introMarkdown":"The biggest practical limits are geographic and financial rather than technical, so they are worth planning around before you commit to a setup.[3][9]\n\n### The license is not the whole bill\n\nA Teams Phone license on its own cannot reach the outside world, so the working cost includes a PSTN option on top of it, whether that is a Microsoft Calling Plan, an Operator Connect subscription, or the SBC and carrier contract behind Direct Routing.[2][8] As a planning reference, Microsoft lists Teams Phone Standard at $10.00 per user per month paid yearly, a bundle of Teams Phone with a domestic Calling Plan at about $17.00, and a domestic-and-international bundle around $34.00, and an independent pricing guide current to April 2026 quotes the same $10 and $17 figures.[5][8] Prices vary by region and change over time, so treat these as a starting point rather than a quote.[5][8]\n\n### Calling Plan coverage is uneven\n\nMicrosoft's own Calling Plan is sold in a limited set of countries, and independent guidance notes the same gap, which is why a company with offices outside that list often combines connectivity types by region.[3][9] Pooled outbound minutes and per-minute overage charges also mean a heavy-calling team should size the plan to its real usage rather than assume calls are unlimited.[3]\n\n### It depends on internet, power, and a current address\n\nBecause the calls travel as data, external calling needs a working internet connection and power at the user's location, unlike a legacy analog line that draws power from the phone company. Emergency calling adds its own requirement: each user needs a validated registered address, or dynamic location detection, so that a call for help reaches the right response center with a usable location, and how much of that you configure yourself depends on the PSTN option you chose.[7]","introHtml":"

The biggest practical limits are geographic and financial rather than technical, so they are worth planning around before you commit to a setup.[3][9]

\n

The license is not the whole bill

\n

A Teams Phone license on its own cannot reach the outside world, so the working cost includes a PSTN option on top of it, whether that is a Microsoft Calling Plan, an Operator Connect subscription, or the SBC and carrier contract behind Direct Routing.[2][8] As a planning reference, Microsoft lists Teams Phone Standard at $10.00 per user per month paid yearly, a bundle of Teams Phone with a domestic Calling Plan at about $17.00, and a domestic-and-international bundle around $34.00, and an independent pricing guide current to April 2026 quotes the same $10 and $17 figures.[5][8] Prices vary by region and change over time, so treat these as a starting point rather than a quote.[5][8]

\n

Calling Plan coverage is uneven

\n

Microsoft's own Calling Plan is sold in a limited set of countries, and independent guidance notes the same gap, which is why a company with offices outside that list often combines connectivity types by region.[3][9] Pooled outbound minutes and per-minute overage charges also mean a heavy-calling team should size the plan to its real usage rather than assume calls are unlimited.[3]

\n

It depends on internet, power, and a current address

\n

Because the calls travel as data, external calling needs a working internet connection and power at the user's location, unlike a legacy analog line that draws power from the phone company. Emergency calling adds its own requirement: each user needs a validated registered address, or dynamic location detection, so that a call for help reaches the right response center with a usable location, and how much of that you configure yourself depends on the PSTN option you chose.[7]

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":7},{"id":"96405bd4-e7f6-4962-84a5-c295751e2e17","sectionKey":"contributor_perspective","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"How this answer was researched","introMarkdown":"The capability, licensing, and connectivity details here come primarily from Microsoft's own Teams documentation on Microsoft Learn and from the Teams Phone product page, which are the authoritative sources for what the product can do and how it is licensed.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Pricing was checked against Microsoft's published figures and corroborated with an independent guide current to April 2026, and the core point that external calling needs a PSTN connection was cross-checked against independent telecom sources.[8][9][10] Microsoft revises Teams licensing, pricing, and feature availability regularly, so the dollar figures and plan names here reflect what the cited pages stated on the verification date. Practitioners who deploy, administer, or support Teams Phone calling at scale are welcome to suggest corrections or additions, which are checked against Microsoft's primary documentation before any update.","introHtml":"

The capability, licensing, and connectivity details here come primarily from Microsoft's own Teams documentation on Microsoft Learn and from the Teams Phone product page, which are the authoritative sources for what the product can do and how it is licensed.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Pricing was checked against Microsoft's published figures and corroborated with an independent guide current to April 2026, and the core point that external calling needs a PSTN connection was cross-checked against independent telecom sources.[8][9][10] Microsoft revises Teams licensing, pricing, and feature availability regularly, so the dollar figures and plan names here reflect what the cited pages stated on the verification date. Practitioners who deploy, administer, or support Teams Phone calling at scale are welcome to suggest corrections or additions, which are checked against Microsoft's primary documentation before any update.

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":"This answer was written and reviewed by the AnswerStack Editorial Team, which has no commercial stake in the products, companies, or methods discussed. Every claim is cited inline and verified on the dates shown.","noteHtml":"

This answer was written and reviewed by the AnswerStack Editorial Team, which has no commercial stake in the products, companies, or methods discussed. Every claim is cited inline and verified on the dates shown.

\n","sortOrder":8}],"citations":[{"title":"What is Teams Phone","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-is-phone-system-in-office-365","excerpt":"By default, calls between Teams users in your organization are handled natively within Teams, and never go to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Teams Phone is Microsoft's cloud call-control and PBX technology; internal Teams calls stay native and never touch the PSTN; reaching external numbers needs both a Teams Phone license and a separate PSTN solution that provides numbers and access to domestic, international, and emergency calling; usa","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Microsoft - PSTN connectivity options","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/pstn-connectivity","excerpt":"In order to use PSTN telephony services with Teams Phone, the user account must be licensed with the Teams Phone application and also be equipped with a PSTN solution from your PSTN service provider of choice.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"A user account must be licensed with Teams Phone and equipped with a PSTN solution to make and receive telephone calls; the four connectivity models (Microsoft Calling Plan, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, Direct Routing), what each manages, carrier and hardware differences, the ability to com","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams Calling Plans","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/calling-plans-for-office-365","excerpt":"With the Domestic Calling Plan, licensed users can call out to numbers located in the country where they're assigned in Microsoft 365. Unlimited incoming minutes are included.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Domestic, International, and Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plans; unlimited incoming minutes; outbound minutes pooled and shared per identical plan; International plan reaches 196 countries; Pay-As-You-Go billed via Communications Credits or post-usage billing; Microsoft acts as carrier; Calling Plans avail","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Teams Phone features - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/here-s-what-you-get-with-phone-system","excerpt":"Lets users answer inbound calls with a touch, and place calls by dialing a PSTN phone number, an internal extension, or by selecting a name in the client.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Answering and placing calls by PSTN phone number requires the Teams Phone license; external caller ID; call forwarding and simultaneous ring to PSTN numbers; call transfer to PSTN, call park, call blocking of PSTN numbers, voicemail to mailbox, and moving a call in progress between devices","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams Phone","url":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone","excerpt":"Make and receive voice and video calls over PSTN or an internet connection.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Teams Phone lets you make and receive voice and video calls over the PSTN or an internet connection; Teams Phone Standard at $10.00 per user per month paid yearly; Teams Phone with a domestic Calling Plan about $17.00; domestic and international bundle about $34.00; 99.999% uptime SLA; availability ","domain":"microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft"},{"title":"Country and region availability for Audio Conferencing and Calling Plans","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/country-and-region-availability-for-audio-conferencing-and-calling-plans/country-and-region-availability-for-audio-conferencing-and-calling-plans","excerpt":"To place and receive calls, Teams Phone users use their mobile devices, a headset with a laptop or PC, or one of many IP phones that work with Teams.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Calling Plans let users place and receive calls to telephone numbers; availability depends on the country or region; users place and receive calls on mobile devices, a headset with a laptop or PC, or IP phones; Communications Credits fund destinations not included in a plan","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Plan and manage emergency calling - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-are-emergency-locations-addresses-and-call-routing","excerpt":"Assigning an emergency address to each of your users ensures that precise dispatchable location information is provided for Teams users making emergency calls.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Emergency calling requires a validated registered (static) address or dynamic location detection so responders receive a usable location; how emergency calling is configured differs by PSTN connectivity option","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams Phone System Pricing & Plans: Full Guide for 2026","url":"https://www.cloudtalk.io/blog/microsoft-teams-phone-system-pricing/","excerpt":"Teams Phone Standard $10.00/user per month, no included calling minutes; Teams Phone with Calling Plan $17 per user/month.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Independent corroboration current to April 30, 2026 that Teams Phone Standard is $10.00 per user per month with no included calling minutes and that Teams Phone with a domestic Calling Plan is $17 per user per month","domain":"cloudtalk.io","publisherName":"CloudTalk"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams PSTN Calling explained","url":"https://www.pure-ip.com/blog/microsoft-teams-pstn-calling-explained","excerpt":"Without PSTN calling, Teams only supports internal calls between users on the platform.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Independent confirmation that Teams supports only internal calls without a PSTN service and that external calling requires a PSTN connection; notes that Microsoft Calling Plans are not available in every country","domain":"pure-ip.com","publisherName":"Pure IP"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams: How to Call Someone on Teams","url":"https://www.atlantech.net/blog/how-to-use-microsoft-teams-calling","excerpt":"Dial external numbers using the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"SUPPORTING","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Business-facing walkthrough of dialing and answering external PSTN calls from Teams on a desktop or smartphone once a Teams Phone license and a PSTN connection are in place; corroborated by [4] and [6]","domain":"atlantech.net","publisherName":"Atlantech Online"}],"revisions":[],"relatedAnswers":[{"id":"9cfa6183-815b-4644-861d-2bfe543492cc","slug":"how-does-teams-phone-work","question":"How does Teams Phone work?","publishedAt":"2026-07-18T03:47:27.534","confidenceScore":93,"confidenceLabel":"High","industry":{"id":"ff619d7c-d7d7-485e-a05a-53fba07f33ed","slug":"telecommunications","label":"Telecommunications","description":"Business voice, fiber, UCaaS, and network services"},"topic":{"slug":"teams-phone","label":"Teams Phone","description":"Microsoft Teams Phone: licensing, PSTN connectivity, calling plans, and setup.","schemaKind":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"snippet":"Teams Phone turns Microsoft 365 into a cloud phone system: a call-control service in the cloud acts as the PBX, internal calls run over the internet, and a Teams Phone license plus a PSTN connection (Microsoft Calling Plan, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, or Direct Routing) let users dial real phone numbers. Admins assign numbers, voice enable users, and build auto attendants and call queues, while call audio flows over the most direct path it can find, encrypted with SRTP.","url":"/q/how-does-teams-phone-work"},{"id":"8317c7a7-d7a6-4a7c-8428-441b19177913","slug":"how-do-i-choose-a-pstn-connectivity-option-for-teams-phone","question":"How do I choose a PSTN connectivity option for Teams Phone?","publishedAt":"2026-07-18T03:43:05.249","confidenceScore":92,"confidenceLabel":"High","industry":{"id":"ff619d7c-d7d7-485e-a05a-53fba07f33ed","slug":"telecommunications","label":"Telecommunications","description":"Business voice, fiber, UCaaS, and network services"},"topic":{"slug":"teams-phone","label":"Teams Phone","description":"Microsoft Teams Phone: licensing, PSTN connectivity, calling plans, and setup.","schemaKind":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"snippet":"Teams Phone needs a PSTN connection on top of the phone license, and Microsoft offers four ways to provide it: a Microsoft Calling Plan, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, and Direct Routing. The right pick depends on whether Calling Plans are sold in your countries, whether you want to keep a current carrier, how much infrastructure you want to run, and any emergency-calling or continuity needs. A single tenant can combine options by region or by type of worker.","url":"/q/how-do-i-choose-a-pstn-connectivity-option-for-teams-phone"},{"id":"67fc8518-2dba-4c3b-8029-0a39c59afd28","slug":"what-is-the-difference-between-teams-phone-and-a-calling-plan","question":"What is the difference between Teams Phone and a Calling Plan?","publishedAt":"2026-07-18T03:41:44.225","confidenceScore":95,"confidenceLabel":"High","industry":{"id":"ff619d7c-d7d7-485e-a05a-53fba07f33ed","slug":"telecommunications","label":"Telecommunications","description":"Business voice, fiber, UCaaS, and network services"},"topic":{"slug":"teams-phone","label":"Teams Phone","description":"Microsoft Teams Phone: licensing, PSTN connectivity, calling plans, and setup.","schemaKind":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"snippet":"Teams Phone and a Microsoft Calling Plan are two different purchases that most organizations buy together. Teams Phone is the cloud phone system, the per-user license that adds PBX features like auto attendants, call queues, and PSTN dialing. A Calling Plan is one of four ways to connect that phone system to the public phone network; it makes Microsoft your carrier and supplies the numbers and minutes. Internal Teams calls need neither, and a Calling Plan cannot work without a Teams Phone license underneath it.","url":"/q/what-is-the-difference-between-teams-phone-and-a-calling-plan"},{"id":"dc0dd213-a7d5-4cd3-95e3-5457b9308922","slug":"what-teams-phone-license-do-i-need","question":"What Teams Phone license do I need?","publishedAt":"2026-07-18T03:41:33.762","confidenceScore":93,"confidenceLabel":"High","industry":{"id":"ff619d7c-d7d7-485e-a05a-53fba07f33ed","slug":"telecommunications","label":"Telecommunications","description":"Business voice, fiber, UCaaS, and network services"},"topic":{"slug":"teams-phone","label":"Teams Phone","description":"Microsoft Teams Phone: licensing, PSTN connectivity, calling plans, and setup.","schemaKind":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"snippet":"Teams Phone licensing comes in layers. Every user needs a base Microsoft 365 or Teams subscription, then a Teams Phone license, then a PSTN connection for external calls. E5 plans already include Teams Phone; lower tiers add Teams Phone Standard at about $10 per user per month. A Microsoft Calling Plan, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, or Direct Routing supplies the outside line, and only the Microsoft Calling Plan route needs its own extra license.","url":"/q/what-teams-phone-license-do-i-need"}],"contributorStats":{"verifiedAnswers":224,"openDisputes":0},"schemaJson":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Question","name":"Can Teams Phone make and receive calls to landlines and mobile phones?","text":"Can Teams Phone make and receive calls to landlines and mobile phones?","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/can-teams-phone-make-and-receive-calls-to-landlines-and-mobile-phones","answerCount":1,"datePublished":"2026-07-18T03:39:01.233","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"AnswerStack Editorial Team","worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"AnswerStack"},"url":"https://www.answerstack.io/contributors/answer-stack"},"about":[{"@type":"Thing","name":"Teams Phone"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"Telecommunications"}],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Yes. Teams Phone can place and answer calls to and from ordinary landline and mobile numbers, but only after two separate pieces are in place: a Teams Phone license assigned to the user, and a connection to the public switched telephone network, or PSTN, that supplies the phone numbers and the route to the outside world.[1][2] Calls between people inside the same organization run natively over the internet and never touch the phone network, so the license and the PSTN connection matter specifically for reaching external numbers.[1] Microsoft supports four ways to make that PSTN connection, and a Microsoft Calling Plan, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, or Direct Routing each let a voice-enabled user dial out and take inbound calls on a real phone number.[2] Microsoft's product page states plainly that Teams Phone lets you make and receive voice and video calls over the PSTN or an internet connection, from the Teams apps on a computer, a mobile device, or a certified desk phone.[5][6]","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/can-teams-phone-make-and-receive-calls-to-landlines-and-mobile-phones","upvoteCount":0,"datePublished":"2026-07-18T03:39:01.233","dateModified":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","author":{"@type":"Person","name":"AnswerStack Editorial Team","worksFor":{"@type":"Organization","name":"AnswerStack"},"url":"https://www.answerstack.io/contributors/answer-stack"},"citation":[{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"What is Teams Phone","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-is-phone-system-in-office-365"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft - PSTN connectivity options","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/pstn-connectivity"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Teams Calling Plans","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/calling-plans-for-office-365"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Teams Phone features - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/here-s-what-you-get-with-phone-system"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Teams Phone","url":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Country and region availability for Audio Conferencing and Calling Plans","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/country-and-region-availability-for-audio-conferencing-and-calling-plans/country-and-region-availability-for-audio-conferencing-and-calling-plans"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Plan and manage emergency calling - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-are-emergency-locations-addresses-and-call-routing"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Teams Phone System Pricing & Plans: Full Guide for 2026","url":"https://www.cloudtalk.io/blog/microsoft-teams-phone-system-pricing/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Teams PSTN Calling explained","url":"https://www.pure-ip.com/blog/microsoft-teams-pstn-calling-explained"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Teams: How to Call Someone on Teams","url":"https://www.atlantech.net/blog/how-to-use-microsoft-teams-calling"}]}}}