Both connect Microsoft Teams Phone to the public phone network through a carrier other than Microsoft. With Operator Connect, the carrier belongs to a Microsoft program and has already built the link to Teams, so you switch it on in the Teams admin center and assign its numbers. With Direct Routing, you bring a carrier of your own choosing, and the link runs through a session border controller that someone has to set up and operate. That someone can be you, an integrator or a service provider. The difference is how much of the connection arrives ready-made and how much you can shape.
\n","summary":"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.","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T03:39:37.83","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","editorialStatus":"APPROVED","lastReviewedAt":"2026-10-10T03:54:18.391","nextReviewDueAt":"2026-10-17T00:00:00","templateVersion":"v2","aliases":["Operator Connect vs Direct Routing","Direct Routing vs Operator Connect for Teams","What's the difference between Operator Connect and Direct Routing?","Should I use Direct Routing or Operator Connect?","Operator Connect or Direct Routing for Teams Phone","Teams Phone PSTN options compared","Is Operator Connect better than Direct Routing?","When to use Direct Routing vs Operator Connect","Direct Routing and Operator Connect explained","Can you use Direct Routing and Operator Connect together?","Operator Connect vs Direct Routing SBC","Difference between Direct Routing and Operator Connect in Microsoft Teams"],"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":"1b58d68e-7c5c-4e37-a04e-f4774a20e7a6","sectionKey":"what_they_share","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"What the two have in common","introMarkdown":"Teams Phone is a phone system, and it needs a carrier before anyone can call an outside number. Microsoft's [PSTN connectivity page](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/pstn-connectivity) lists four ways to add one. A Microsoft Calling Plan makes Microsoft the carrier. Teams Phone Mobile uses a mobile operator and the number on a user's SIM. Operator Connect and Direct Routing are the two routes that use a landline carrier other than Microsoft, which is why they get compared.\n\nOn both routes every user needs a Teams Phone license. When an operator other than Microsoft supplies the calling, Microsoft's [licensing page](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-phone-licensing) requires no further license, because those costs come from the operator. So the Teams Phone license requirement is the same on both routes. The carrier's charge and the cost of the connection are the parts of [what Teams Phone costs](https://www.answerstack.io/q/how-much-does-teams-phone-cost) that vary. People make and take calls in the same Teams app on both. The differences are behind the app, in who builds the connection and who looks after it.","introHtml":"Teams Phone is a phone system, and it needs a carrier before anyone can call an outside number. Microsoft's PSTN connectivity page lists four ways to add one. A Microsoft Calling Plan makes Microsoft the carrier. Teams Phone Mobile uses a mobile operator and the number on a user's SIM. Operator Connect and Direct Routing are the two routes that use a landline carrier other than Microsoft, which is why they get compared.
\nOn both routes every user needs a Teams Phone license. When an operator other than Microsoft supplies the calling, Microsoft's licensing page requires no further license, because those costs come from the operator. So the Teams Phone license requirement is the same on both routes. The carrier's charge and the cost of the connection are the parts of what Teams Phone costs that vary. People make and take calls in the same Teams app on both. The differences are behind the app, in who builds the connection and who looks after it.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":10},{"id":"73ad4413-4b51-4770-b028-5e9a1137da24","sectionKey":"operator_connect","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"How Operator Connect works","introMarkdown":"Operator Connect is a program. A carrier joins it by completing the integration with Microsoft and being certified. Microsoft's [planning page for Operator Connect](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/operator-connect-plan) says the operator manages the phone network infrastructure, and your administrators manage users from the Teams admin center.\n\nSetting it up is a matter of choosing and assigning. You sign a contract with a participating operator and enable that operator in the admin center. You then get numbers, either new ones from the operator or existing ones ported over, and assign them to users. Microsoft lists a few prerequisites: Teams Phone licenses, users in Teams Only mode, the right administrator permissions, and an operator that serves the countries where you need service.\n\nThat last condition limits the choice of carrier. It has to be an operator in the program, and each one serves particular countries.\n\nSupport is shared, and Microsoft's planning page says where the line falls. Microsoft is responsible for Teams, the admin center and the integration with Operator Connect. The operator is responsible for the phone network connection, number provisioning and porting, the calling service and troubleshooting on its side.","introHtml":"Operator Connect is a program. A carrier joins it by completing the integration with Microsoft and being certified. Microsoft's planning page for Operator Connect says the operator manages the phone network infrastructure, and your administrators manage users from the Teams admin center.
\nSetting it up is a matter of choosing and assigning. You sign a contract with a participating operator and enable that operator in the admin center. You then get numbers, either new ones from the operator or existing ones ported over, and assign them to users. Microsoft lists a few prerequisites: Teams Phone licenses, users in Teams Only mode, the right administrator permissions, and an operator that serves the countries where you need service.
\nThat last condition limits the choice of carrier. It has to be an operator in the program, and each one serves particular countries.
\nSupport is shared, and Microsoft's planning page says where the line falls. Microsoft is responsible for Teams, the admin center and the integration with Operator Connect. The operator is responsible for the phone network connection, number provisioning and porting, the calling service and troubleshooting on its side.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":20},{"id":"8cbe811e-3227-4ede-89bd-4ad9da752358","sectionKey":"direct_routing","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"How Direct Routing works","introMarkdown":"Direct Routing has no carrier list. In Microsoft's words, you can use any PSTN operator. The connection is made through a session border controller, or SBC, a device that sits between the carrier's network and Teams. Microsoft supports only the SBC models it has certified.\n\nSomebody has to make that connection work, and the [planning page for Direct Routing](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/direct-routing-plan) lists what it involves. The SBC needs one or more carrier trunks. It needs a public IP address that Teams can reach. It also needs a fully qualified domain name under a domain verified in your Microsoft 365 tenant, with a public DNS entry and a trusted certificate for that name. The firewall has to allow Microsoft's signaling and media traffic. Then come voice routes, dial plans and the routing policies assigned to users.\n\nMicrosoft gives the reasons an organization takes that on. The planning page says Direct Routing fits organizations that have an existing carrier relationship, need to connect a third-party PBX or analog devices, need advanced call routing, want more control over their telephony, or run complex or multinational deployments.\n\nSupport follows the equipment. Microsoft's guidance for Direct Routing is to contact the SBC vendor when a problem occurs. The vendor investigates and escalates to Microsoft if needed. When a provider runs the SBC for you, your first call is to that provider under its support terms.","introHtml":"Direct Routing has no carrier list. In Microsoft's words, you can use any PSTN operator. The connection is made through a session border controller, or SBC, a device that sits between the carrier's network and Teams. Microsoft supports only the SBC models it has certified.
\nSomebody has to make that connection work, and the planning page for Direct Routing lists what it involves. The SBC needs one or more carrier trunks. It needs a public IP address that Teams can reach. It also needs a fully qualified domain name under a domain verified in your Microsoft 365 tenant, with a public DNS entry and a trusted certificate for that name. The firewall has to allow Microsoft's signaling and media traffic. Then come voice routes, dial plans and the routing policies assigned to users.
\nMicrosoft gives the reasons an organization takes that on. The planning page says Direct Routing fits organizations that have an existing carrier relationship, need to connect a third-party PBX or analog devices, need advanced call routing, want more control over their telephony, or run complex or multinational deployments.
\nSupport follows the equipment. Microsoft's guidance for Direct Routing is to contact the SBC vendor when a problem occurs. The vendor investigates and escalates to Microsoft if needed. When a provider runs the SBC for you, your first call is to that provider under its support terms.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":30},{"id":"809f6d92-073b-42bd-aa3b-21cd99a5e2bf","sectionKey":"provider_managed_direct_routing","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Direct Routing doesn't have to mean your own hardware","introMarkdown":"The SBC for Direct Routing can be [procured, installed and managed](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/pstn-connectivity) by the customer, an integrator or a Direct-Routing-as-a-Service provider. A company can use Direct Routing and never own a session border controller.\n\nAtlantech Online is an example of a carrier that sells both routes. Its [Teams Calling page](https://www.atlantech.net/solutions/voice/microsoft-teams-calling) says that setting up Direct Routing on your own creates costs for equipment, personnel and installation, and that its service includes Direct Routing. The page lists that service as \"starting at $10 per user per month,\" with an enterprise dial plan, call queues and optional call recording. Its [Operator Connect page](https://www.atlantech.net/solutions/voice/operatorconnect) lists a flat rate \"as low as $3 per user/month\" and says Atlantech manages the calling service and the SBCs. Both figures are starting prices for the carrier's service. They cover different sets of features, so the gap between them is not the price of Direct Routing.\n\nWith a provider like that, both routes are managed services. The customer isn't choosing between owning hardware and avoiding it. The customer is choosing how much the connection can be customized. Atlantech describes the trade in its [explanation of Operator Connect](https://www.atlantech.net/blog/microsoft-operator-connect-explained): Operator Connect removes the work of managing SBCs, and in exchange an organization gives up some control over call routing, customization and integration with older systems.\n\nRunning the SBC yourself remains a third choice. It leaves the SBC configuration and the voice routing policies with your own team, along with the certificate and firewall work.","introHtml":"The SBC for Direct Routing can be procured, installed and managed by the customer, an integrator or a Direct-Routing-as-a-Service provider. A company can use Direct Routing and never own a session border controller.
\nAtlantech Online is an example of a carrier that sells both routes. Its Teams Calling page says that setting up Direct Routing on your own creates costs for equipment, personnel and installation, and that its service includes Direct Routing. The page lists that service as "starting at $10 per user per month," with an enterprise dial plan, call queues and optional call recording. Its Operator Connect page lists a flat rate "as low as $3 per user/month" and says Atlantech manages the calling service and the SBCs. Both figures are starting prices for the carrier's service. They cover different sets of features, so the gap between them is not the price of Direct Routing.
\nWith a provider like that, both routes are managed services. The customer isn't choosing between owning hardware and avoiding it. The customer is choosing how much the connection can be customized. Atlantech describes the trade in its explanation of Operator Connect: Operator Connect removes the work of managing SBCs, and in exchange an organization gives up some control over call routing, customization and integration with older systems.
\nRunning the SBC yourself remains a third choice. It leaves the SBC configuration and the voice routing policies with your own team, along with the certificate and firewall work.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":40},{"id":"770abd9e-4b7a-44c5-859e-e478651ae263","sectionKey":"side_by_side_table","sectionType":"table_section","heading":"The differences side by side","introMarkdown":null,"introHtml":null,"outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{"rows":[{"cells":["Which carriers","Operators in Microsoft's program, where they offer service","A PSTN operator you choose"]},{"cells":["Who runs the session border controller","The operator","You, an integrator or a service provider"]},{"cells":["What you configure","Enable the operator and assign numbers in the Teams admin center","SBC connection, DNS, certificate, firewall, voice routes and policies, or a provider does it"]},{"cells":["What Microsoft says it suits","A managed connection with no SBC of your own, or staying with an operator in the program","An existing carrier, a third-party PBX or analog devices, advanced call routing"]},{"cells":["Who supports the connection","The operator for calling, Microsoft for Teams","Whoever runs the SBC, with the SBC vendor escalating to Microsoft"]}],"columns":["Point of comparison","Operator Connect","Direct Routing"]},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":50},{"id":"01e66171-b855-4f4e-baff-347c0ed2db3c","sectionKey":"choosing_or_combining","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Choosing between them, or using both","introMarkdown":"Start with what has to connect to Teams. If the answer is people and phone numbers, and a carrier you're happy with is in the program for your countries, Operator Connect does the job with less to set up. If the answer includes an existing PBX, analog devices or call routing rules of your own, those are the cases Microsoft names for Direct Routing. The same goes for a carrier that isn't in the program. Mobile numbers and Microsoft's own calling plans are separate routes, covered 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).\n\nYou don't have to pick one for the whole organization. Direct Routing can run alongside the other routes in the same tenant, and Microsoft's planning page describes a common pattern. Operator Connect or a Calling Plan handles ordinary calling, and Direct Routing handles calls to a third-party PBX, analog devices and specialized routing.\n\nSuppose a 200-person distributor has 170 office staff and a warehouse with an older phone system and analog handsets on the floor. The office staff can go on Operator Connect, with numbers assigned in the admin center. The warehouse can reach Teams through Direct Routing, assuming its equipment works with a certified SBC, and a provider can run that SBC. The office staff are Teams Phone users. The warehouse keeps its own phone system, and calls pass between it and Teams through the SBC. Each site uses the route that matches its equipment.","introHtml":"Start with what has to connect to Teams. If the answer is people and phone numbers, and a carrier you're happy with is in the program for your countries, Operator Connect does the job with less to set up. If the answer includes an existing PBX, analog devices or call routing rules of your own, those are the cases Microsoft names for Direct Routing. The same goes for a carrier that isn't in the program. Mobile numbers and Microsoft's own calling plans are separate routes, covered in how to choose a PSTN connectivity option for Teams Phone.
\nYou don't have to pick one for the whole organization. Direct Routing can run alongside the other routes in the same tenant, and Microsoft's planning page describes a common pattern. Operator Connect or a Calling Plan handles ordinary calling, and Direct Routing handles calls to a third-party PBX, analog devices and specialized routing.
\nSuppose a 200-person distributor has 170 office staff and a warehouse with an older phone system and analog handsets on the floor. The office staff can go on Operator Connect, with numbers assigned in the admin center. The warehouse can reach Teams through Direct Routing, assuming its equipment works with a certified SBC, and a provider can run that SBC. The office staff are Teams Phone users. The warehouse keeps its own phone system, and calls pass between it and Teams through the SBC. Each site uses the route that matches its equipment.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":60}],"citations":[{"title":"Microsoft - PSTN connectivity options","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/pstn-connectivity","excerpt":"With the Direct Routing model, you can use any PSTN operator. Integration of your preferred PSTN operator's access to your tenant is achieved through a certified Session Border Controller (SBC) that is procured, installed, and managed by you, your integrator, or a Direct-Routing-as-a-Service (DRaaS) provider.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"The four PSTN connectivity models; Direct Routing uses any operator through a certified SBC procured, installed, and managed by you, an integrator, or a DRaaS provider; Operator Connect uses a certified third-party operator with no infrastructure to manage; Direct Routing works in any country or reg","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft"},{"title":"Microsoft - Plan for Operator Connect","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/operator-connect-plan","excerpt":"Your operator manages the PSTN calling services and Session Border Controllers (SBCs), allowing you to save on hardware purchase and management.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Operator Connect operator manages the PSTN calling services and SBCs, saving hardware purchase and management; keep an existing operator or choose a participating one; faster deployment from the Teams admin center; requires Teams Phone license and TeamsOnly mode; availability limited to participatin","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft"},{"title":"Plan Direct Routing - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/direct-routing-plan","excerpt":"Direct Routing lets you connect a supported, customer-provided Session Border Controller (SBC) to Microsoft Teams Phone.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Direct Routing connects a supported, customer-provided SBC to Teams Phone; use virtually any PSTN trunk; interoperate with third-party PBX and analog devices; keep an existing carrier contract; Teams Phone and Teams licenses required; SBC infrastructure requirements (certificate, FQDN/DNS, firewall ","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Session Border Controllers certified for Direct Routing - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/direct-routing-border-controllers","excerpt":"Microsoft only supports certified SBCs to pair with Direct Routing.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Microsoft only supports certified SBCs with Direct Routing; certified vendors include AudioCodes, Ribbon, Oracle, Cisco, and TE-SYSTEMS; support escalation flows through the SBC vendor; certified firmware version requirement","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Microsoft - Configure Operator Connect","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/operator-connect-configure","excerpt":"You can enable, edit, and remove operators in the Teams admin center. In the left navigation pane, go to Voice > Operator Connect.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Enable an operator in the Teams admin center under Voice and Operator Connect, select countries, then the operator uploads numbers and you assign them to users; no SBC to configure; users need a Phone System license and TeamsOnly mode","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft"},{"title":"What is Teams Phone","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-is-phone-system-in-office-365","excerpt":"A PSTN solution is separate from a Teams Phone license. A PSTN solution provides a customer's tenant with phone numbers and PSTN access to domestic, international, and emergency calling. The Teams Phone license entitles a Teams user to enhanced calling capabilities within the tenant and access to the PSTN solution.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Teams Phone is Microsoft's call control and PBX technology in Microsoft 365; internal Teams calls stay off the PSTN; a PSTN solution is separate from the Teams Phone license and both are required for external calls; any combination of PSTN solutions is supported","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Microsoft Operator Connect vs Direct Routing","url":"https://www.uctoday.com/unified-communications/microsoft-operator-connect-vs-direct-routing/","excerpt":"Connecting and assigning phone numbers to users only takes minutes.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Independent corroboration that Operator Connect is operator-managed with no local SBC, deploys in minutes from the Teams admin center, and offers less routing control, while Direct Routing keeps the SBC in the corporate data center, works with virtually any provider, and suits organizations needing ","domain":"uctoday.com","publisherName":"UC Today"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams Direct Routing vs. Operator Connect","url":"https://ribboncommunications.com/company/get-help/glossary/microsoft-teams-direct-routing-vs-operator-connect","excerpt":"Direct Routing allows companies to have more flexibility.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Independent corroboration that Direct Routing gives more flexibility and customer-managed SBC control for advanced features and carrier choice, while Operator Connect is provider-managed with numbers assigned from the Operators tab and is limited to participating operators","domain":"ribboncommunications.com","publisherName":"Ribbon Communications"},{"title":"What Is the Difference Between Operator Connect, Calling Plans and Direct Routing for Teams?","url":"https://www.pure-ip.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-operator-connect-microsoft-calling-plans-and-direct-routing-for-teams","excerpt":"Yes, you can mix Direct Routing and Operator Connect within the same Microsoft Teams environment. Microsoft fully supports a hybrid configuration.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Independent corroboration that the carrier owns the connectivity in Operator Connect (fast deployment, no SBC) while Direct Routing is customer-managed with an SBC, and that Microsoft fully supports a hybrid mix of Operator Connect and Direct Routing in one tenant","domain":"pure-ip.com","publisherName":"Pure IP"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams: Calling Plans Vs Operator Connect Vs Direct Routing","url":"https://www.communicationsquare.com/news/calling-plans-vs-operator-connect-vs-direct-routing/","excerpt":"Direct routing requires additional infrastructure, such as a session border controller (SBC), which can add to the upfront cost.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"INDEPENDENT","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Independent corroboration that Direct Routing requires additional infrastructure such as an SBC that adds to upfront cost and complexity, that the operator manages the SBCs under Operator Connect for cost savings, and that Direct Routing offers the most customization","domain":"communicationsquare.com","publisherName":"Communication Square"},{"title":"Microsoft Operator Connect Explained: What It Is, How It Works, and When to Use It","url":"https://www.atlantech.net/blog/microsoft-operator-connect-explained","excerpt":"Operator Connect reduces operational overhead by eliminating the need for customer-managed Session Border Controllers (SBCs).","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"SUPPORTING","verifiedAt":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","supportsText":"Business-facing corroboration that Operator Connect is a Microsoft-certified, operator-managed calling model that removes the need for customer-managed SBCs; corroborated by [2] and [1]","domain":"atlantech.net","publisherName":"Atlantech Online"}],"revisions":[{"revisedAt":"2026-07-18T03:39:37.83+00:00","versionLabel":"Originally published","note":"","reviewedBy":null}],"relatedAnswers":[{"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"},{"id":"56a92390-37b7-4baa-95b6-4ea51512b1b0","slug":"does-a-teams-phone-license-include-a-phone-number","question":"Does a Teams Phone license include a phone number?","publishedAt":"2026-06-02T03:39:27.013","confidenceScore":96,"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":"No. A Teams Phone license provides the phone system, and phone numbers come from the carrier that connects Teams to the public phone network. A Calling Plan makes Microsoft that carrier. Numbers are acquired or ported, then assigned, and Shared Calling lets a group of users share one number.","url":"/q/does-a-teams-phone-license-include-a-phone-number"}],"contributorStats":{"verifiedAnswers":149,"openDisputes":0},"schemaJson":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Question","name":"What is the difference between Direct Routing and Operator Connect?","text":"What is the difference between Direct Routing and Operator Connect?","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-is-the-difference-between-direct-routing-and-operator-connect","answerCount":1,"datePublished":"2026-08-18T03:39:37.83","about":[{"@type":"Thing","name":"Teams Phone"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"Telecommunications"}],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Both connect Microsoft Teams Phone to the public phone network through a carrier other than Microsoft. With Operator Connect, the carrier belongs to a Microsoft program and has already built the link to Teams, so you switch it on in the Teams admin center and assign its numbers. With Direct Routing, you bring a carrier of your own choosing, and the link runs through a session border controller that someone has to set up and operate. That someone can be you, an integrator or a service provider. The difference is how much of the connection arrives ready-made and how much you can shape.","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-is-the-difference-between-direct-routing-and-operator-connect","upvoteCount":0,"datePublished":"2026-08-18T03:39:37.83","dateModified":"2026-07-17T00:00:00","citation":[{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft - PSTN connectivity options","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/pstn-connectivity"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft - Plan for Operator Connect","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/operator-connect-plan"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Plan Direct Routing - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/direct-routing-plan"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Session Border Controllers certified for Direct Routing - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/direct-routing-border-controllers"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft - Configure Operator Connect","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/operator-connect-configure"},{"@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 Operator Connect vs Direct Routing","url":"https://www.uctoday.com/unified-communications/microsoft-operator-connect-vs-direct-routing/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Teams Direct Routing vs. Operator Connect","url":"https://ribboncommunications.com/company/get-help/glossary/microsoft-teams-direct-routing-vs-operator-connect"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"What Is the Difference Between Operator Connect, Calling Plans and Direct Routing for Teams?","url":"https://www.pure-ip.com/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-operator-connect-microsoft-calling-plans-and-direct-routing-for-teams"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Teams: Calling Plans Vs Operator Connect Vs Direct Routing","url":"https://www.communicationsquare.com/news/calling-plans-vs-operator-connect-vs-direct-routing/"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Operator Connect Explained: What It Is, How It Works, and When to Use It","url":"https://www.atlantech.net/blog/microsoft-operator-connect-explained"}]}}}