{"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":"c4ba6a7a-205d-49b3-8364-28aef3b34ae9","slug":"what-is-microsoft-teams-phone","question":"What is Microsoft Teams Phone?","answerMarkdown":"Microsoft Teams Phone is a business phone system that runs in Microsoft's cloud and shows up inside Teams. It does the work of an office PBX, the switchboard a company uses to handle its own calls. It answers the main line with a menu, holds callers in a queue, takes voicemail and transfers calls. Calls to and from ordinary phone numbers need one more thing: a connection to the public phone network, from Microsoft or from a carrier. That connection is also where the phone numbers come from.","answerText":"Microsoft Teams Phone is a business phone system that runs in Microsoft's cloud and shows up inside Teams. It does the work of an office PBX, the switchboard a company uses to handle its own calls. It answers the main line with a menu, holds callers in a queue, takes voicemail and transfers calls. Calls to and from ordinary phone numbers need one more thing: a connection to the public phone network, from Microsoft or from a carrier. That connection is also where the phone numbers come from.","answerHtml":"

Microsoft Teams Phone is a business phone system that runs in Microsoft's cloud and shows up inside Teams. It does the work of an office PBX, the switchboard a company uses to handle its own calls. It answers the main line with a menu, holds callers in a queue, takes voicemail and transfers calls. Calls to and from ordinary phone numbers need one more thing: a connection to the public phone network, from Microsoft or from a carrier. That connection is also where the phone numbers come from.

\n","summary":"Microsoft Teams Phone is a cloud phone system inside Teams. It does the job of an office PBX: auto attendants, call queues, voicemail and call transfer. Calling outside phone numbers needs a separate connection to the public phone network, from Microsoft or from a carrier, and that connection supplies the phone numbers.","publishedAt":"2026-05-16T03:24:54.673","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","editorialStatus":"APPROVED","lastReviewedAt":"2026-10-10T03:54:18.391","nextReviewDueAt":"2026-10-17T00:00:00","templateVersion":"v2","aliases":["What is Teams Phone?","What is Microsoft Teams Phone Standard?","Is Teams Phone a PBX?","What was Phone System in Microsoft 365?","Does Microsoft Teams have a phone system?","What is Teams Phone used for?","How is Teams Phone different from Teams calling?","Teams Phone meaning","What does Microsoft Teams Phone do?","Is Teams Phone the same as a Calling Plan?","Can Microsoft Teams replace my office phone system?","What is the Teams cloud phone system?"],"confidenceScore":94,"confidenceLabel":"High","canonicalUrl":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"contributorOrganizationProfile":null,"contributorPerson":null,"sections":[{"id":"588ea68e-123c-4ba2-8191-628fd77d973b","sectionKey":"what_the_phone_system_does","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"What the phone system does","introMarkdown":"Microsoft's [overview of Teams Phone](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-is-phone-system-in-office-365) describes it as call control and PBX capabilities delivered from the Microsoft 365 cloud. Call control is the part of a phone system that decides where a call goes, including what happens when nobody answers. A PBX has traditionally been equipment in the office or a separate hosted service. Teams Phone puts it in the same platform that already runs the company's chat and meetings.\n\nThe core features of the Teams Phone Standard license are cloud voicemail, call forwarding, call transfer, auto attendants, call queues and caller ID, according to the [list of Teams add-on licenses](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-add-on-licensing/microsoft-teams-add-on-licensing). An auto attendant is the menu that greets callers and sends them to the right place. A call queue holds callers until someone in a group is free to answer.\n\nPeople use all of this from the Teams app on a computer or a mobile phone. It also works on certified desk phones, so a receptionist or a shared office can still have a handset. Administrators set calling policies for the whole organization, for a group or for one user. Teams Phone can run alongside another phone system or a contact center, so a company can move one office or one department first. The path a call takes is covered in how Teams Phone works.","introHtml":"

Microsoft's overview of Teams Phone describes it as call control and PBX capabilities delivered from the Microsoft 365 cloud. Call control is the part of a phone system that decides where a call goes, including what happens when nobody answers. A PBX has traditionally been equipment in the office or a separate hosted service. Teams Phone puts it in the same platform that already runs the company's chat and meetings.

\n

The core features of the Teams Phone Standard license are cloud voicemail, call forwarding, call transfer, auto attendants, call queues and caller ID, according to the list of Teams add-on licenses. An auto attendant is the menu that greets callers and sends them to the right place. A call queue holds callers until someone in a group is free to answer.

\n

People use all of this from the Teams app on a computer or a mobile phone. It also works on certified desk phones, so a receptionist or a shared office can still have a handset. Administrators set calling policies for the whole organization, for a group or for one user. Teams Phone can run alongside another phone system or a contact center, so a company can move one office or one department first. The path a call takes is covered in how Teams Phone works.

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":10},{"id":"89a59b28-0388-47ae-8ec8-8185213883d0","sectionKey":"versus_ordinary_teams_calling","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"How it differs from ordinary Teams calling","introMarkdown":"Teams users can already call each other. By default, calls between Teams users in the same organization are handled inside Teams and never reach the public phone network. A colleague can start one by clicking a name in a chat, for example, with no phone number involved.\n\nTeams Phone is what turns that into a phone system. A Teams Enterprise license includes native calling features, and the Teams Phone license adds more, which is how Microsoft's [feature page](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/here-s-what-you-get-with-phone-system) draws the line. The additions are the PBX features above and the right to use a connection to the public phone network.\n\nThat right comes from a license. Teams Phone Standard is an add-on to a Teams license, and Microsoft's US list price for it is $10 per user per month, paid yearly. Some larger suites already contain it. Any Microsoft 365 E5 license includes the phone system, which the [licensing page](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-phone-licensing) still calls the Microsoft 365 Phone System application, the product's older name. [Which Teams Phone license you need](https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-teams-phone-license-do-i-need) depends on the plan a user holds today.","introHtml":"

Teams users can already call each other. By default, calls between Teams users in the same organization are handled inside Teams and never reach the public phone network. A colleague can start one by clicking a name in a chat, for example, with no phone number involved.

\n

Teams Phone is what turns that into a phone system. A Teams Enterprise license includes native calling features, and the Teams Phone license adds more, which is how Microsoft's feature page draws the line. The additions are the PBX features above and the right to use a connection to the public phone network.

\n

That right comes from a license. Teams Phone Standard is an add-on to a Teams license, and Microsoft's US list price for it is $10 per user per month, paid yearly. Some larger suites already contain it. Any Microsoft 365 E5 license includes the phone system, which the licensing page still calls the Microsoft 365 Phone System application, the product's older name. Which Teams Phone license you need depends on the plan a user holds today.

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":20},{"id":"669095b3-125d-4aa6-a41d-16b613c53193","sectionKey":"reaching_outside_numbers","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"How calls reach outside phone numbers","introMarkdown":"A licensed user with nothing else has a phone system that can't dial a landline or a mobile. The connection to [the public phone network](https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-is-the-pstn-public-switched-telephone-network), or PSTN, is separate from a Teams Phone license. That connection supplies the phone numbers and the access to domestic, international and emergency calling. Microsoft's [PSTN connectivity page](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/pstn-connectivity) lists four routes, and they differ in who acts as the phone company.","introHtml":"

A licensed user with nothing else has a phone system that can't dial a landline or a mobile. The connection to the public phone network, or PSTN, is separate from a Teams Phone license. That connection supplies the phone numbers and the access to domestic, international and emergency calling. Microsoft's PSTN connectivity page lists four routes, and they differ in who acts as the phone company.

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":30},{"id":"a083fc2d-a8df-4504-accb-6971655d4d1e","sectionKey":"four_routes_table","sectionType":"table_section","heading":"The four routes to the phone network","introMarkdown":null,"introHtml":null,"outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{"rows":[{"cells":["Microsoft Calling Plan","Microsoft"]},{"cells":["Operator Connect","A carrier in Microsoft's certified operator program"]},{"cells":["Teams Phone Mobile","A certified mobile operator, using the number on the user's SIM"]},{"cells":["Direct Routing","A carrier you choose, connected through a certified session border controller"]}],"columns":["Route","Who acts as the phone company"]},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":40},{"id":"d47deee4-adb7-493b-badc-805e841792df","sectionKey":"phone_system_and_carrier_service","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Microsoft's phone system with a carrier's phone service","introMarkdown":"With a Calling Plan, Microsoft is both the phone system and the phone company. The two can be bought as one bundle, Teams Phone with Calling Plan, or as a Teams Phone Standard license with a Calling Plan license added. The names sound alike, but [Teams Phone and a Calling Plan are different things](https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-is-the-difference-between-teams-phone-and-a-calling-plan): one is the phone system and the other is Microsoft's calling service. On the other three routes Microsoft provides the phone system and a carrier provides the service behind it.\n\nAtlantech Online shows what that looks like. It is a carrier in the Operator Connect program, and its [Operator Connect page](https://www.atlantech.net/solutions/voice/operatorconnect) says it manages the PSTN calling services and the session border controllers, the devices that join a carrier's network to Teams. The customer's administrator still works in the Teams admin center, where the carrier's numbers are assigned to users. Atlantech lists a flat rate \"as low as $3 per user/month\" for that service, with unlimited calling in the US and number porting. That figure is a starting price for the carrier's part. Microsoft's licensing is a separate requirement, which a user's existing plan may already meet.\n\nSuppose a company is set up this way and a customer calls its main number. The menu that answers, the queue that holds the call and the voicemail that takes it after hours all run in Microsoft's cloud. The phone number and the calling service that carried the call to Teams come from the carrier. A working Teams Phone deployment is both halves together.\n\nA tenant can use more than one route. Any combination is supported, so a company can put office staff on one carrier and field staff on mobile numbers. We walk through that decision in [how to choose a PSTN connectivity option for Teams Phone](https://www.answerstack.io/q/how-do-i-choose-a-pstn-connectivity-option-for-teams-phone). What each route adds to the bill is in [how much Teams Phone costs](https://www.answerstack.io/q/how-much-does-teams-phone-cost).","introHtml":"

With a Calling Plan, Microsoft is both the phone system and the phone company. The two can be bought as one bundle, Teams Phone with Calling Plan, or as a Teams Phone Standard license with a Calling Plan license added. The names sound alike, but Teams Phone and a Calling Plan are different things: one is the phone system and the other is Microsoft's calling service. On the other three routes Microsoft provides the phone system and a carrier provides the service behind it.

\n

Atlantech Online shows what that looks like. It is a carrier in the Operator Connect program, and its Operator Connect page says it manages the PSTN calling services and the session border controllers, the devices that join a carrier's network to Teams. The customer's administrator still works in the Teams admin center, where the carrier's numbers are assigned to users. Atlantech lists a flat rate "as low as $3 per user/month" for that service, with unlimited calling in the US and number porting. That figure is a starting price for the carrier's part. Microsoft's licensing is a separate requirement, which a user's existing plan may already meet.

\n

Suppose a company is set up this way and a customer calls its main number. The menu that answers, the queue that holds the call and the voicemail that takes it after hours all run in Microsoft's cloud. The phone number and the calling service that carried the call to Teams come from the carrier. A working Teams Phone deployment is both halves together.

\n

A tenant can use more than one route. Any combination is supported, so a company can put office staff on one carrier and field staff on mobile numbers. We walk through that decision in how to choose a PSTN connectivity option for Teams Phone. What each route adds to the bill is in how much Teams Phone costs.

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":50},{"id":"50af799b-ca7b-46a6-a6a3-26c33aaae747","sectionKey":"numbers_for_people_and_services","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Numbers for people and numbers for services","introMarkdown":"A phone number in Teams Phone can belong to a person or to a service. A person's number rings that person in Teams. A service number belongs to an auto attendant or a call queue, which is how a company's main line or support line reaches a group of people. A service number can handle hundreds of calls at once, while a user's number handles only a few, according to the [setup guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/setting-up-your-phone-system).\n\nNot everyone needs a number of their own. Microsoft offers Shared Calling, in which a group of users makes and receives outside calls through one number attached to an auto attendant. Each of those users still needs a Teams Phone license. The license does not come with a number in either case, which we explain in [whether a Teams Phone license includes a phone number](https://www.answerstack.io/q/does-a-teams-phone-license-include-a-phone-number).\n\nOne limit applies to Teams Phone Mobile. It supports user numbers only. Numbers for auto attendants and call queues come through one of the other three routes.","introHtml":"

A phone number in Teams Phone can belong to a person or to a service. A person's number rings that person in Teams. A service number belongs to an auto attendant or a call queue, which is how a company's main line or support line reaches a group of people. A service number can handle hundreds of calls at once, while a user's number handles only a few, according to the setup guide.

\n

Not everyone needs a number of their own. Microsoft offers Shared Calling, in which a group of users makes and receives outside calls through one number attached to an auto attendant. Each of those users still needs a Teams Phone license. The license does not come with a number in either case, which we explain in whether a Teams Phone license includes a phone number.

\n

One limit applies to Teams Phone Mobile. It supports user numbers only. Numbers for auto attendants and call queues come through one of the other three routes.

\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":60}],"citations":[{"title":"What is Teams Phone","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-is-phone-system-in-office-365","excerpt":"Teams Phone allows you to replace your existing PBX system with a set of features delivered from the same platform that provides your enterprise productivity tools.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Teams Phone definition as Microsoft's call control and PBX technology in Microsoft 365; internal Teams calls stay native and off the PSTN; license plus PSTN solution both required; replaces an existing PBX","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":"The four PSTN connectivity models (Microsoft Calling Plan, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, Direct Routing), what each manages, 99.999% Calling Plan SLA, Survivable Branch Appliance, and that a tenant can combine options","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft"},{"title":"Teams Phone features - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/here-s-what-you-get-with-phone-system","excerpt":"The Microsoft Teams Enterprise license includes native calling features, and the Teams Phone license unlocks even more features.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Feature split between Teams Enterprise native calling and the Teams Phone license; auto attendants, call queues, cloud voicemail, call park, call delegation, external caller ID, call forwarding and simultaneous ring","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams add-on licenses - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-add-on-licensing/microsoft-teams-add-on-licensing","excerpt":"Teams Phone Standard is an add-on license to Teams that provides a hosted telephone service. This service provides Private Branch Exchange (PBX) capabilities, such as cloud voicemail, call forwarding, call transfer, auto attendants, call queues, and caller ID.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Teams Phone Standard as a hosted PBX add-on with cloud voicemail, call forwarding, transfer, auto attendants, call queues, caller ID; Calling Plan and bundle options; Microsoft 365 and Office 365 E5 include Teams Phone","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Set up Teams Phone in your organization - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/setting-up-your-phone-system","excerpt":"For each user who uses Teams Phone, you must assign a Teams Phone license to that user. In addition to licensing, the users must be voice enabled.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Deployment steps: buy and assign a Teams Phone license, choose a PSTN option, get and assign numbers, voice enable users; service numbers on resource accounts handle many simultaneous calls","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams Phone","url":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone","excerpt":"Teams Phone Standard $10.00 user/month, paid yearly.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Teams Phone Standard listed at $10.00 per user per month paid yearly; 99.999% uptime; Copilot in Teams Phone, intelligent recap, and Teams Premium captions and transcripts","domain":"microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft"},{"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":"Dynamic emergency calling for Microsoft Calling Plans, Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, and Direct Routing provides the capability to configure and route emergency calls and notify security personnel based on the current location of the Teams client.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Emergency addresses, validated locations and geo codes, registered (static) address versus dynamic emergency calling across all four PSTN options, security-desk notifications, and per-option emergency setup responsibility","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/user/mo. No calling plan included, must add separately. Teams Phone with Calling Plan, $17/user/mo.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Independent corroboration current to April 2026 of Teams Phone Standard at $10 per user per month and Teams Phone with Calling Plan at about $17 per user per month; Standard has no calling plan included","domain":"cloudtalk.io","publisherName":"CloudTalk"},{"title":"Skype for Business Online retirement - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/skype-for-business-online-retirement","excerpt":"On July 31, 2021, Microsoft retired Skype for Business Online. This retirement was announced in July 2019 to give customers two years advance notice to plan their upgrades to Microsoft Teams.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Skype for Business Online was retired on July 31, 2021, with Microsoft Teams as the successor for calling and collaboration","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"What is the Microsoft Teams Phone System?","url":"https://www.uctoday.com/unified-communications/what-is-the-microsoft-teams-phone-system/","excerpt":"the technology available for companies to enable call control and PBX (Private Branch Exchange) capabilities in the Microsoft 365 cloud.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Independent explainer describing Teams Phone (formerly Phone System) as cloud PBX call control in Microsoft 365 and a replacement for legacy phone systems, with Calling Plan, Operator Connect, and Direct Routing connectivity","domain":"uctoday.com","publisherName":"UC Today"},{"title":"7 Microsoft Teams Phone System Features Your Business Needs","url":"https://www.atlantech.net/blog/microsoft-teams-phone-system","excerpt":"Microsoft Teams Phone is natively integrated with Microsoft 365, businesses can click-to-call directly from Outlook contacts.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"SUPPORTING","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Business-facing view of Teams Phone as a cloud phone system integrated with Microsoft 365, including click-to-call from Outlook contacts; corroborated by [3] and [6]","domain":"atlantech.net","publisherName":"Atlantech Online"}],"revisions":[{"revisedAt":"2026-07-18T03:24:54.673+00:00","versionLabel":"Originally published","note":"","reviewedBy":null}],"relatedAnswers":[{"id":"1993a40e-6259-4856-9885-d80d2aaf68f1","slug":"what-is-the-difference-between-direct-routing-and-operator-connect","question":"What is the difference between Direct Routing and Operator Connect?","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T03:39:37.83","confidenceScore":94,"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":"Both connect Teams Phone to the public phone network through a carrier other than Microsoft. Operator Connect uses a carrier in Microsoft's program that has already built the connection. Direct Routing uses a carrier you choose through a session border controller run by you, an integrator or a provider, and allows more custom integration.","url":"/q/what-is-the-difference-between-direct-routing-and-operator-connect"},{"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":"2026-08-03T03:43:05.249","confidenceScore":88,"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":"Start with who you want as your carrier. A Calling Plan makes it Microsoft, Operator Connect uses a participating phone company, Teams Phone Mobile puts the number on a SIM, and Direct Routing connects a carrier you choose or existing equipment through a session border controller. One tenant can combine them.","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":"2026-07-21T03:41:44.225","confidenceScore":86,"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 is the phone system license and a Calling Plan is carrier service from Microsoft. Anyone in Teams who calls outside numbers needs Teams Phone; a Calling Plan applies only where Microsoft is the carrier.","url":"/q/what-is-the-difference-between-teams-phone-and-a-calling-plan"},{"id":"856a2341-d0c5-4496-a8d2-d97388060c1c","slug":"how-much-does-teams-phone-cost","question":"How much does Teams Phone cost?","publishedAt":"2026-06-09T03:40:01.318","confidenceScore":76,"confidenceLabel":"Medium","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":"In the US, Microsoft lists Teams Phone Standard at $10 per user per month, paid yearly, with no outside calling. Bundles with Microsoft calling are $13, $17 and $34. Each assumes a Teams license. With a carrier, a user who needs the add-on costs $10 plus the carrier's charge, such as Atlantech's published floor of $3 per user per month.","url":"/q/how-much-does-teams-phone-cost"}],"contributorStats":{"verifiedAnswers":149,"openDisputes":0},"schemaJson":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Question","name":"What is Microsoft Teams Phone?","text":"What is Microsoft Teams Phone?","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-is-microsoft-teams-phone","answerCount":1,"datePublished":"2026-05-16T03:24:54.673","about":[{"@type":"Thing","name":"Teams Phone"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"Telecommunications"}],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Microsoft Teams Phone is a business phone system that runs in Microsoft's cloud and shows up inside Teams. It does the work of an office PBX, the switchboard a company uses to handle its own calls. It answers the main line with a menu, holds callers in a queue, takes voicemail and transfers calls. Calls to and from ordinary phone numbers need one more thing: a connection to the public phone network, from Microsoft or from a carrier. That connection is also where the phone numbers come from.","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-is-microsoft-teams-phone","upvoteCount":0,"datePublished":"2026-05-16T03:24:54.673","dateModified":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","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":"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 add-on licenses - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-add-on-licensing/microsoft-teams-add-on-licensing"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Set up Teams Phone in your organization - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/setting-up-your-phone-system"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Teams Phone","url":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone"},{"@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":"Skype for Business Online retirement - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/skype-for-business-online-retirement"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"What is the Microsoft Teams Phone System?","url":"https://www.uctoday.com/unified-communications/what-is-the-microsoft-teams-phone-system/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"7 Microsoft Teams Phone System Features Your Business Needs","url":"https://www.atlantech.net/blog/microsoft-teams-phone-system"}]}}}