Teams Phone is the phone system, and a Calling Plan is phone service from Microsoft. The Teams Phone license gives a user's Teams account the features of an office phone system, such as voicemail, call transfer, auto attendants and call queues. A Calling Plan gives an account a phone number and a connection to landlines and mobiles, with Microsoft as the carrier. Anyone in Teams who makes outside calls needs Teams Phone. A Calling Plan is needed only where Microsoft is the carrier, and people who share one company number don't each need their own.
\n","summary":"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.","publishedAt":"2026-07-21T03:41:44.225","verifiedAt":"2026-09-14T00:00:00","editorialStatus":"APPROVED","lastReviewedAt":"2026-10-10T03:55:31.893","nextReviewDueAt":"2026-12-14T00:00:00","templateVersion":"v2","aliases":["Teams Phone vs Calling Plan","Is a Calling Plan the same as Teams Phone?","What does a Teams Phone license include?","Does Teams Phone include calling minutes?","Difference between Teams Phone Standard and Teams Phone with Calling Plan","What is a Microsoft Teams Calling Plan?","Do you need both Teams Phone and a Calling Plan?","Teams Phone license vs PSTN connectivity","What does Teams Phone cost per user?","How do Teams Calling Plan pooled minutes work?","Does Teams voicemail need a Teams Phone license?"],"confidenceScore":86,"confidenceLabel":"High","canonicalUrl":null},"contributor":{"id":"ec39deab-44fe-48d8-9029-fefe993ab85a","slug":"answer-stack","displayName":"AnswerStack","websiteUrl":null},"contributorOrganizationProfile":null,"contributorPerson":null,"sections":[{"id":"86439f68-b34d-4db8-a2ba-90727fac30f8","sectionKey":"the_phone_system_and_the_phone_service_are_licensed_separate","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"The phone system and the phone service are two separate parts","introMarkdown":"Take an office that runs its own phone equipment. A PBX in the building handles extensions, transfers and voicemail, and lines from a phone company connect that PBX to everyone else. Teams keeps the same two parts and moves both to the cloud.\n\nMicrosoft's [add-on licensing page](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-add-on-licensing/microsoft-teams-add-on-licensing) describes Teams Phone Standard as a hosted telephone service with PBX capabilities. It names cloud voicemail, call forwarding, call transfer, auto attendants, call queues and caller ID. The same page describes a Calling Plan as an add-on to Teams Phone for calls to the PSTN, the public switched telephone network that landlines and mobiles are on. With a Calling Plan, it says, \"Microsoft is your PSTN carrier.\"\n\nThe dependency runs one way. A Calling Plan is an add-on to Teams Phone, and Microsoft's [Calling Plans page](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/calling-plans-for-office-365) says an account needs Teams Phone before a Calling Plan can be added to it. Teams Phone works without a Calling Plan as long as some other carrier connects it to the phone network. Microsoft's [Teams Phone licensing guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-phone-licensing) says that if you use an operator other than Microsoft, Microsoft requires no further license, because you pay that operator for the calling.\n\nCalls between Teams users in the same organization normally involve no carrier. Microsoft's [Teams Phone overview](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-is-phone-system-in-office-365) says those calls are handled inside Teams and never reach the PSTN. The difference between the two licenses starts to matter when someone has to call a landline or a mobile, or a customer has to dial in.","introHtml":"Take an office that runs its own phone equipment. A PBX in the building handles extensions, transfers and voicemail, and lines from a phone company connect that PBX to everyone else. Teams keeps the same two parts and moves both to the cloud.
\nMicrosoft's add-on licensing page describes Teams Phone Standard as a hosted telephone service with PBX capabilities. It names cloud voicemail, call forwarding, call transfer, auto attendants, call queues and caller ID. The same page describes a Calling Plan as an add-on to Teams Phone for calls to the PSTN, the public switched telephone network that landlines and mobiles are on. With a Calling Plan, it says, "Microsoft is your PSTN carrier."
\nThe dependency runs one way. A Calling Plan is an add-on to Teams Phone, and Microsoft's Calling Plans page says an account needs Teams Phone before a Calling Plan can be added to it. Teams Phone works without a Calling Plan as long as some other carrier connects it to the phone network. Microsoft's Teams Phone licensing guide says that if you use an operator other than Microsoft, Microsoft requires no further license, because you pay that operator for the calling.
\nCalls between Teams users in the same organization normally involve no carrier. Microsoft's Teams Phone overview says those calls are handled inside Teams and never reach the PSTN. The difference between the two licenses starts to matter when someone has to call a landline or a mobile, or a customer has to dial in.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":10},{"id":"8461dfb8-61eb-45ba-8172-cf5376ae4b5e","sectionKey":"teams_phone_and_a_calling_plan_side_by_side","sectionType":"table_section","heading":"Teams Phone and a Calling Plan side by side","introMarkdown":null,"introHtml":null,"outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{"rows":[{"cells":["What it is","The phone system, licensed per user","Carrier service from Microsoft, sold as a license"]},{"cells":["What it adds to an account","Voicemail, forwarding, transfer, auto attendants, call queues and caller ID","A phone number from Microsoft and calls to and from the public phone network"]},{"cells":["Who needs it","Each person who makes or takes outside calls","A person with their own number from Microsoft, or the Shared Calling resource account when its number is Microsoft's"]},{"cells":["What it requires first","A Teams license, for a user","Teams Phone"]},{"cells":["What can take its place","A Microsoft 365 E5 license, which includes the phone system","Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile or Direct Routing"]}],"columns":["Point of comparison","Teams Phone","Calling Plan"]},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":20},{"id":"92fcff8a-9e11-4ef3-a053-5c3a5c2d599f","sectionKey":"how_microsoft_sells_the_two_together_and_apart","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"How Microsoft sells the two together and apart","introMarkdown":"Microsoft sells the two parts as one license and as two. On its [US price list](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone), Teams Phone Standard is $10.00 per user per month. Teams Phone with Calling Plan is $17.00 per user per month and includes 3,000 outbound domestic minutes a month for a US user. A third option at $13.00 per user per month pairs the phone system with pay-as-you-go calling, so outgoing calls are billed by the minute. All three prices are for an annual subscription paid yearly, and all three require a separate Teams license.\n\nThe Calling Plans page describes both ways to buy. You can take the bundle, or you can take Teams Phone and add a Calling Plan as a second license. The second way matters for accounts that already have the phone system. Suppose some of your people have Microsoft 365 E5. Microsoft's licensing guide says E5 includes the phone system, so those accounts don't need Teams Phone Standard. If Microsoft is going to be their carrier, they add a Calling Plan license by itself. The bundle would pay for a phone system they already have.\n\nMicrosoft suggests the pay-as-you-go plan for users with low or variable outgoing call volume. Which combination costs least for a given group depends on how much those people call, and we add up the cases in [how much Teams Phone costs](https://www.answerstack.io/q/how-much-does-teams-phone-cost).","introHtml":"Microsoft sells the two parts as one license and as two. On its US price list, Teams Phone Standard is $10.00 per user per month. Teams Phone with Calling Plan is $17.00 per user per month and includes 3,000 outbound domestic minutes a month for a US user. A third option at $13.00 per user per month pairs the phone system with pay-as-you-go calling, so outgoing calls are billed by the minute. All three prices are for an annual subscription paid yearly, and all three require a separate Teams license.
\nThe Calling Plans page describes both ways to buy. You can take the bundle, or you can take Teams Phone and add a Calling Plan as a second license. The second way matters for accounts that already have the phone system. Suppose some of your people have Microsoft 365 E5. Microsoft's licensing guide says E5 includes the phone system, so those accounts don't need Teams Phone Standard. If Microsoft is going to be their carrier, they add a Calling Plan license by itself. The bundle would pay for a phone system they already have.
\nMicrosoft suggests the pay-as-you-go plan for users with low or variable outgoing call volume. Which combination costs least for a given group depends on how much those people call, and we add up the cases in how much Teams Phone costs.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":30},{"id":"df4b91c9-2dc6-4fd6-a88c-b923eba50c6e","sectionKey":"what_the_calling_plan_part_covers","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"What the Calling Plan part covers","introMarkdown":"A Calling Plan is the part that behaves like a phone bill. Microsoft lists three: Domestic, International and Pay-As-You-Go. All three include unlimited incoming minutes. They differ in which outgoing calls they cover and whether those calls come out of included minutes or are charged by use.\n\nIncluded minutes are pooled across users in the same country who hold the same plan. Microsoft's example is 100 US users on the Domestic plan. Each is allocated 3,000 minutes a month, so the group shares 300,000 a month. Calls beyond the pool are billed per minute. Teams Phone has no equivalent, because the phone system license is a flat entitlement with no minutes attached.\n\nCalling Plans are also sold by country. Where Microsoft doesn't sell them, a Teams Phone license still works with another carrier, which is why [a Calling Plan isn't required for Teams Phone](https://www.answerstack.io/q/do-i-need-a-calling-plan-with-teams-phone).","introHtml":"A Calling Plan is the part that behaves like a phone bill. Microsoft lists three: Domestic, International and Pay-As-You-Go. All three include unlimited incoming minutes. They differ in which outgoing calls they cover and whether those calls come out of included minutes or are charged by use.
\nIncluded minutes are pooled across users in the same country who hold the same plan. Microsoft's example is 100 US users on the Domestic plan. Each is allocated 3,000 minutes a month, so the group shares 300,000 a month. Calls beyond the pool are billed per minute. Teams Phone has no equivalent, because the phone system license is a flat entitlement with no minutes attached.
\nCalling Plans are also sold by country. Where Microsoft doesn't sell them, a Teams Phone license still works with another carrier, which is why a Calling Plan isn't required for Teams Phone.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":40},{"id":"67b29ed7-e0ab-413b-b8e4-50080eaa7bb6","sectionKey":"what_takes_the_calling_plan_s_place_with_another_carrier","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"What takes the Calling Plan's place with another carrier","introMarkdown":"Atlantech Online's Operator Connect service shows the same division from the carrier's side. Operator Connect is Microsoft's program for carriers that have already connected their networks to Teams. On its [Operator Connect page](https://www.atlantech.net/solutions/voice/operatorconnect), Atlantech says it manages the PSTN calling services and the session border controllers, the equipment that sits between a carrier's network and Teams. It publishes a flat rate \"as low as $3 per user/month\" and lists unlimited calling in the US, number porting and support with it. That figure is a starting rate, and the page offers a quote for each organization.\n\nThat $3 is for the carrier's side, which is the job a Calling Plan would otherwise do. The phone system still comes from Microsoft, whichever [PSTN connectivity option](https://www.answerstack.io/q/how-do-i-choose-a-pstn-connectivity-option-for-teams-phone) carries the calls. Each user needs Teams Phone, from the $10.00 license or from a suite that includes it.\n\nTo compare a Calling Plan with an operator's quote fairly, put the two on the same footing. Microsoft's $17.00 bundle caps included outbound minutes. Its price list says the calling portion includes required US communications taxes and fees, while sales tax on the phone system portion is charged separately. An operator's quote has to state its own calling allowance and its own taxes before the two figures mean the same thing.","introHtml":"Atlantech Online's Operator Connect service shows the same division from the carrier's side. Operator Connect is Microsoft's program for carriers that have already connected their networks to Teams. On its Operator Connect page, Atlantech says it manages the PSTN calling services and the session border controllers, the equipment that sits between a carrier's network and Teams. It publishes a flat rate "as low as $3 per user/month" and lists unlimited calling in the US, number porting and support with it. That figure is a starting rate, and the page offers a quote for each organization.
\nThat $3 is for the carrier's side, which is the job a Calling Plan would otherwise do. The phone system still comes from Microsoft, whichever PSTN connectivity option carries the calls. Each user needs Teams Phone, from the $10.00 license or from a suite that includes it.
\nTo compare a Calling Plan with an operator's quote fairly, put the two on the same footing. Microsoft's $17.00 bundle caps included outbound minutes. Its price list says the calling portion includes required US communications taxes and fees, while sales tax on the phone system portion is charged separately. An operator's quote has to state its own calling allowance and its own taxes before the two figures mean the same thing.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":50},{"id":"0ae2856e-c912-4700-bb9c-8b3c16daa726","sectionKey":"shared_numbers_and_call_queues_show_the_split_most_clearly","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Shared numbers and call queues show the split most clearly","introMarkdown":"The two licenses also attach to different kinds of accounts. Microsoft's licensing guide describes Shared Calling, where a group of users make and receive outside calls through one number that belongs to a resource account. Each of those users still needs [a Teams Phone license](https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-teams-phone-license-do-i-need). None of them needs a number or a Calling Plan of their own. If the shared number comes from Microsoft, the guide says the resource account needs a pay-as-you-go Calling Plan.\n\nAuto attendants and call queues are licensed in a similar way. The guide says to license them with a Teams Phone Resource Account license, which goes on the resource account and not on a person.\n\nA company set up this way holds more phone system licenses than it has phone numbers. The phone system is licensed to each person who handles calls and to the resource accounts behind its auto attendants and call queues. In the cases above, a Calling Plan goes on a user with their own Microsoft number or on the account that holds a shared Microsoft number.","introHtml":"The two licenses also attach to different kinds of accounts. Microsoft's licensing guide describes Shared Calling, where a group of users make and receive outside calls through one number that belongs to a resource account. Each of those users still needs a Teams Phone license. None of them needs a number or a Calling Plan of their own. If the shared number comes from Microsoft, the guide says the resource account needs a pay-as-you-go Calling Plan.
\nAuto attendants and call queues are licensed in a similar way. The guide says to license them with a Teams Phone Resource Account license, which goes on the resource account and not on a person.
\nA company set up this way holds more phone system licenses than it has phone numbers. The phone system is licensed to each person who handles calls and to the resource accounts behind its auto attendants and call queues. In the cases above, a Calling Plan goes on a user with their own Microsoft number or on the account that holds a shared Microsoft number.
\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":null,"quoteText":"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.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"Teams Phone is Microsoft's call control and PBX technology in the Microsoft 365 cloud; a PSTN solution is separate from a Teams Phone license, with the license entitling a user to enhanced calling capabilities and access to the PSTN solution while the PSTN solution supplies phone numbers and domesti","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":null,"quoteText":"The Microsoft Teams Enterprise license includes native calling features, and the Teams Phone license unlocks even more features. For features where a Teams Phone license is required, a connection with the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and phone number is also required.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"The feature-by-feature split between the Microsoft Teams Enterprise license and that license plus Teams Phone: 35 features listed, 17 marked yes for Teams Enterprise alone and 18 requiring Teams Phone, including auto attendants, call queues, call park, call delegation, call groups, dial plans, exter","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Teams Phone licensing - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-phone-licensing","excerpt":null,"quoteText":"In the case where any Microsoft 365 E5 license is used, it isn't necessary to also assign the stand-alone Microsoft Teams Phone Standard license.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"Microsoft 365 E5 includes the Microsoft 365 Phone System application, so a standalone Teams Phone Standard license is not also needed; if you use a PSTN operator other than Microsoft, Microsoft requires no other licensing because the PSTN costs are incurred from your preferred operator; a Microsoft ","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":null,"quoteText":"Microsoft Teams Calling Plans is an add-on license to Teams Phone for making calls to the PSTN. With this option, Microsoft is your PSTN carrier.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"Teams Phone Standard is an add-on license providing PBX capabilities; Microsoft Teams Calling Plans is an add-on license to Teams Phone for making calls to the PSTN, with Microsoft as the carrier; the Teams Phone with Calling Plan bundle combines both; Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, Direct Ro","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Microsoft - PSTN connectivity options","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/pstn-connectivity","excerpt":null,"quoteText":"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.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"The four PSTN connectivity models and what each supplies; Microsoft Calling Plan carries PSTN access, numbers, US emergency screening, and support with a 99.999% reliability SLA; Operator Connect and Teams Phone Mobile require a third-party contract; Direct Routing requires a certified SBC procured ","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":null,"quoteText":"All users in the same country with the same Calling Plan share a pool of minutes. For example, if you have 100 users located in the United States with a Domestic Calling Plan assigned, each user is allocated 3,000 minutes and they all share a pool of 300,000 minutes. All calls exceeding these minutes are billed per minute. Pooling is only available on identical Calling Plans.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"Calling Plans provide PSTN connectivity for Teams Phone and are the simplest option for external calling; the three plan types and their billing; unlimited incoming minutes on all three; the 100-user United States Domestic Calling Plan example with 3,000 minutes each and a shared 300,000-minute pool","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Availability in the United States (U.S.) - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/phone-reference/plan-availability/availability-in-the-united-states-u-s","excerpt":null,"quoteText":"United States domestic calling includes calls to all 50 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Users assigned with the license usage location of U.S. and/or Puerto Rico share the same pool of minutes.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"US Calling Plan minute allowances: 3,000 minutes on the Domestic Calling Plan, and on the International Calling Plan 3,000 minutes of domestic or 600 minutes of international calling, whichever is reached first in the calendar month; outbound calling to 196 countries; United States domestic calling ","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Set up Cloud Voicemail","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/set-up-phone-system-voicemail","excerpt":null,"quoteText":"For Teams users, Cloud Voicemail is automatically set up and provisioned. A Microsoft Teams Phone license isn't required for Cloud Voicemail.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"Cloud Voicemail is automatically set up and provisioned for Teams users and a Microsoft Teams Phone license isn't required for it; voicemail messages are delivered to the user's Exchange mailbox as an email with an audio attachment; Cloud Voicemail doesn't support third-party email systems.","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA) for Direct Routing","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/direct-routing-survivable-branch-appliance","excerpt":null,"quoteText":"The SBA is distributable code provided by Microsoft to SBC vendors who then embed code into their firmware or distribute it separately to have the SBA run on a separate VM or hardware.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"The SBA is documented for Direct Routing only; it is distributable code Microsoft provides to SBC vendors who embed it in firmware or run it on a separate VM or hardware; prerequisites include media bypass on the SBC, TLS 1.2, ports 3443, 4444, 8443 to Teams clients, port 5061 or the configured SBC ","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"What are Communication Credits?","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-are-communications-credits","excerpt":null,"quoteText":"Communication Credits are a billing tool to pay for consumed minutes of Audio Conferencing and Microsoft Calling Plan overages.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"Communication Credits are a billing tool for Audio Conferencing and Microsoft Calling Plan overages, covering toll-free numbers for Audio Conferencing, auto attendants, and call queues, meeting dial-out beyond the pool, overages of any domestic or international calls beyond a Calling Plan's included","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams Phone","url":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone","excerpt":null,"quoteText":"Teams Phone Standard $10.00 user/month, paid yearly. Teams Phone with Calling Plan (country zone 1 - US) $17.00 user/month, paid yearly.","sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"US list prices read September 15, 2026, all annual subscriptions paid yearly that auto-renew: Microsoft Teams Phone Standard $10.00 user/month; Teams Phone with pay-as-you-go calling (country zone 1, US) $13.00; Teams Phone with Calling Plan (country zone 1, US) $17.00 with 3,000 outbound domestic m","domain":"microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft"}],"revisions":[{"revisedAt":"2026-07-18T03:41:44.225+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":"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 Teams Phone and a Calling Plan?","text":"What is the difference between Teams Phone and a Calling Plan?","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-is-the-difference-between-teams-phone-and-a-calling-plan","answerCount":1,"datePublished":"2026-07-21T03:41:44.225","about":[{"@type":"Thing","name":"Teams Phone"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"Telecommunications"}],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Teams Phone is the phone system, and a Calling Plan is phone service from Microsoft. The Teams Phone license gives a user's Teams account the features of an office phone system, such as voicemail, call transfer, auto attendants and call queues. A Calling Plan gives an account a phone number and a connection to landlines and mobiles, with Microsoft as the carrier. Anyone in Teams who makes outside calls needs Teams Phone. A Calling Plan is needed only where Microsoft is the carrier, and people who share one company number don't each need their own.","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-is-the-difference-between-teams-phone-and-a-calling-plan","upvoteCount":0,"datePublished":"2026-07-21T03:41:44.225","dateModified":"2026-09-14T00:00:00","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":"Teams Phone features - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/here-s-what-you-get-with-phone-system"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Teams Phone licensing - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-phone-licensing"},{"@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":"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":"Availability in the United States (U.S.) - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/phone-reference/plan-availability/availability-in-the-united-states-u-s"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Set up Cloud Voicemail","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/set-up-phone-system-voicemail"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Survivable Branch Appliance (SBA) for Direct Routing","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/direct-routing-survivable-branch-appliance"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"What are Communication Credits?","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-are-communications-credits"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Teams Phone","url":"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone"}]}}}