The license you need depends on what the account already has and what the account is for. A person with any Microsoft 365 E5 license already has the phone system included, so they need no separate Teams Phone Standard add-on. A person with Teams on an eligible plan that doesn't include the phone system needs Teams Phone Standard, or the Teams Phone with Calling Plan bundle if Microsoft will also be the phone carrier. A shared phone in a lobby takes a Teams Shared Space license, and the resource account behind an auto attendant or call queue takes a Teams Phone Resource Account license.
\n","summary":"The Teams Phone license you need depends on what each account already has and what it is for: E5 users already have the phone system, other eligible users add Teams Phone Standard or the Calling Plan bundle, and shared phones and resource accounts take their own licenses.","publishedAt":"2026-05-23T03:41:33.762","verifiedAt":"2026-09-14T00:00:00","editorialStatus":"APPROVED","lastReviewedAt":"2026-10-10T03:55:31.893","nextReviewDueAt":"2026-12-14T00:00:00","templateVersion":"v2","aliases":["Do I need a Teams Phone license?","Which Microsoft 365 plans include Teams Phone?","Is Teams Phone included in Microsoft 365 E5?","What license do I need to make phone calls from Microsoft Teams?","Do I need a Teams Phone license for internal Teams calls?","Teams Phone Standard vs Teams Phone with Calling Plan licensing","What license does a common area phone in Teams need?","What license do auto attendants and call queues need?"],"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":"dcba8ecd-aabc-4c34-9ada-33d9c839af44","sectionKey":"start_with_what_each_account_already_has","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Start with what each account already has","introMarkdown":"Microsoft's [Teams Phone licensing guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-phone-licensing) puts the requirement in terms of two applications. A user who needs their own phone number must have licensing that includes Microsoft Teams and the Microsoft 365 Phone System application. Teams Phone is the name on the license, and Phone System is the application it switches on. You can see which applications an account has under its assigned licenses in the Microsoft 365 admin center.\n\nE5 is the case where the phone system is already there. The guide says that where any Microsoft 365 E5 license is used, the stand-alone Teams Phone Standard license isn't necessary. An older E5 includes both Teams and the phone system. The newer Microsoft 365 E5 (no Teams) includes the phone system and leaves Teams out, so that account needs a Teams license such as Microsoft Teams Enterprise beside it. In both cases, buying Teams Phone Standard for an E5 user pays for the phone system twice.\n\nAccounts on plans that don't include the phone system add it. Microsoft lists the plans that Teams Phone Standard can be added to, and the list is long. It includes Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium, Microsoft 365 E3, Office 365 E1 and E3, and Microsoft Teams Enterprise. 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 on an annual subscription paid yearly. Frontline plans have their own version. A worker on Microsoft 365 F1 or F3 or Office 365 F3 can take Teams Phone Standard for Frontline Workers.","introHtml":"Microsoft's Teams Phone licensing guide puts the requirement in terms of two applications. A user who needs their own phone number must have licensing that includes Microsoft Teams and the Microsoft 365 Phone System application. Teams Phone is the name on the license, and Phone System is the application it switches on. You can see which applications an account has under its assigned licenses in the Microsoft 365 admin center.
\nE5 is the case where the phone system is already there. The guide says that where any Microsoft 365 E5 license is used, the stand-alone Teams Phone Standard license isn't necessary. An older E5 includes both Teams and the phone system. The newer Microsoft 365 E5 (no Teams) includes the phone system and leaves Teams out, so that account needs a Teams license such as Microsoft Teams Enterprise beside it. In both cases, buying Teams Phone Standard for an E5 user pays for the phone system twice.
\nAccounts on plans that don't include the phone system add it. Microsoft lists the plans that Teams Phone Standard can be added to, and the list is long. It includes Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium, Microsoft 365 E3, Office 365 E1 and E3, and Microsoft Teams Enterprise. On its US price list, Teams Phone Standard is $10.00 per user per month on an annual subscription paid yearly. Frontline plans have their own version. A worker on Microsoft 365 F1 or F3 or Office 365 F3 can take Teams Phone Standard for Frontline Workers.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":10},{"id":"70aa3fb8-998a-4f8d-b7d0-396869eafd27","sectionKey":"the_license_each_kind_of_account_takes","sectionType":"table_section","heading":"The license each kind of account takes","introMarkdown":null,"introHtml":null,"outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{"rows":[{"cells":["Person with Microsoft 365 E5, with or without Teams","None. The no-Teams version needs a Teams license beside it"]},{"cells":["Person with Teams on an eligible plan, using a carrier other than Microsoft","Teams Phone Standard"]},{"cells":["The same person, with Microsoft as the carrier","Teams Phone with Calling Plan bundle, or Teams Phone Standard plus a Calling Plan"]},{"cells":["Frontline worker on Microsoft 365 F1 or F3, or Office 365 F3","Teams Phone Standard for Frontline Workers"]},{"cells":["Shared phone in a common area","Microsoft Teams Shared Space"]},{"cells":["Resource account for an auto attendant or call queue","Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account"]}],"columns":["Account","License to add for the phone system"]},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":20},{"id":"e502bbd0-8541-44c0-8a87-06a2ea1378fe","sectionKey":"standard_or_the_calling_plan_bundle","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Standard or the Calling Plan bundle","introMarkdown":"This choice is about the carrier. Teams Phone Standard is the phone system alone. The bundle adds a Microsoft Calling Plan, which makes Microsoft the carrier that connects calls to landlines and mobiles. That is [the difference between Teams Phone and a Calling Plan](https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-is-the-difference-between-teams-phone-and-a-calling-plan). Microsoft lists the domestic bundle at $17.00 per user per month for a US user, paid yearly, with 3,000 outbound domestic minutes a month included.\n\nIf another carrier provides the calling and the account needs the phone-system add-on, Standard supplies it. The licensing guide says Microsoft requires no further license when you use an operator other than Microsoft, because you pay that operator for the calling. The one exception is by country: for phone service in India, the guide requires a separate India-specific Teams Phone license from a licensed telecom operator there.\n\nAtlantech Online is one operator outside Microsoft. Its [Operator Connect page](https://www.atlantech.net/solutions/voice/operatorconnect) publishes a flat rate \"as low as $3 per user/month\" with unlimited calling in the US and number porting listed. That is the carrier's charge for its service. It doesn't replace the Microsoft license, and Atlantech quotes the rate for each organization.\n\nThe bundle isn't the only way to get Microsoft as the carrier. Microsoft's [Calling Plans page](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/calling-plans-for-office-365) says a Calling Plan can also be bought as its own license once the account has Teams Phone. That is the route for an account that already has the phone system, whether from E5 or from a Standard license bought earlier. It adds a Calling Plan and avoids paying for the phone system a second time.","introHtml":"This choice is about the carrier. Teams Phone Standard is the phone system alone. The bundle adds a Microsoft Calling Plan, which makes Microsoft the carrier that connects calls to landlines and mobiles. That is the difference between Teams Phone and a Calling Plan. Microsoft lists the domestic bundle at $17.00 per user per month for a US user, paid yearly, with 3,000 outbound domestic minutes a month included.
\nIf another carrier provides the calling and the account needs the phone-system add-on, Standard supplies it. The licensing guide says Microsoft requires no further license when you use an operator other than Microsoft, because you pay that operator for the calling. The one exception is by country: for phone service in India, the guide requires a separate India-specific Teams Phone license from a licensed telecom operator there.
\nAtlantech Online is one operator outside Microsoft. Its Operator Connect page publishes a flat rate "as low as $3 per user/month" with unlimited calling in the US and number porting listed. That is the carrier's charge for its service. It doesn't replace the Microsoft license, and Atlantech quotes the rate for each organization.
\nThe bundle isn't the only way to get Microsoft as the carrier. Microsoft's Calling Plans page says a Calling Plan can also be bought as its own license once the account has Teams Phone. That is the route for an account that already has the phone system, whether from E5 or from a Standard license bought earlier. It adds a Calling Plan and avoids paying for the phone system a second time.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":30},{"id":"68544d16-a314-4c6e-92e9-73831fc6b8f6","sectionKey":"shared_phones_auto_attendants_and_call_queues","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"Shared phones, auto attendants and call queues","introMarkdown":"Some accounts don't belong to a person, and Microsoft licenses them differently. A phone in a lobby or break room signs in with its own account. That account takes a [Teams Shared Space license](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-add-on-licensing/teams-shared-device-license), which includes the phone system. Each license covers one device. Microsoft called this license Teams Shared Devices before April 2026, and some of its pages still use the old name.\n\nAuto attendants and call queues run on resource accounts, which nobody can sign in to. Microsoft's [resource account guide](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/aa-cq-manage-resource-accounts) says each resource account needs a Teams Phone Resource Account license to work with an auto attendant or call queue.\n\nThe same guide says a subscription with Teams Phone gets an allotment of these licenses at zero cost. You still have to go through the purchase in the admin center to receive them, and more can be bought if the allotment runs out. Neither a shared phone account nor a resource account needs a Microsoft Teams Enterprise license.","introHtml":"Some accounts don't belong to a person, and Microsoft licenses them differently. A phone in a lobby or break room signs in with its own account. That account takes a Teams Shared Space license, which includes the phone system. Each license covers one device. Microsoft called this license Teams Shared Devices before April 2026, and some of its pages still use the old name.
\nAuto attendants and call queues run on resource accounts, which nobody can sign in to. Microsoft's resource account guide says each resource account needs a Teams Phone Resource Account license to work with an auto attendant or call queue.
\nThe same guide says a subscription with Teams Phone gets an allotment of these licenses at zero cost. You still have to go through the purchase in the admin center to receive them, and more can be bought if the allotment runs out. Neither a shared phone account nor a resource account needs a Microsoft Teams Enterprise license.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":40},{"id":"b433f18f-9c95-40d1-a285-872ec93d01fc","sectionKey":"people_who_don_t_need_their_own_number","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"People who don't need their own number","introMarkdown":"A Teams Phone license doesn't have to come with a personal phone number. With Shared Calling, a group of users make and receive outside calls through one number that belongs to a resource account attached to an auto attendant. Microsoft's licensing guide says these users need only a license for Teams Phone. They don't need a dedicated number or a Calling Plan. If the shared number is a Microsoft number, the resource account needs a pay-as-you-go Calling Plan.\n\nSo Shared Calling changes where the number and the calling plan are assigned. Every person who uses the shared number still needs the phone-system entitlement. The number itself is a separate matter, since [a Teams Phone license doesn't include a phone number](https://www.answerstack.io/q/does-a-teams-phone-license-include-a-phone-number).","introHtml":"A Teams Phone license doesn't have to come with a personal phone number. With Shared Calling, a group of users make and receive outside calls through one number that belongs to a resource account attached to an auto attendant. Microsoft's licensing guide says these users need only a license for Teams Phone. They don't need a dedicated number or a Calling Plan. If the shared number is a Microsoft number, the resource account needs a pay-as-you-go Calling Plan.
\nSo Shared Calling changes where the number and the calling plan are assigned. Every person who uses the shared number still needs the phone-system entitlement. The number itself is a separate matter, since a Teams Phone license doesn't include a phone number.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":50},{"id":"dd22f2c7-02d0-492f-8c6b-91ee99ec8333","sectionKey":"a_worked_example_for_one_firm","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"A worked example for one firm","introMarkdown":"Suppose a 36-person firm wants a main number with an auto attendant, a call queue for its support group, and a phone in the lobby. The auto attendant and the queue each have their own resource account. Six partners have Microsoft 365 E5 that includes Teams. The other 30 people have Microsoft 365 E3 with Teams Enterprise. The firm plans to use Atlantech's Operator Connect service as its carrier.\n\nThe six partners need nothing more from Microsoft for the phone system. The 30 E3 users each need Teams Phone Standard, which comes to $300.00 a month at the US list price. The subscription is paid yearly, so that is $3,600.00 for the year. The lobby phone needs one Shared Space license. The two resource accounts need two Resource Account licenses, which cost nothing as long as the firm's allotment covers two. Atlantech then quotes the calling service, and Microsoft asks for no Calling Plan.\n\nChange one assumption and the list changes. If the firm made Microsoft the carrier for all 36 people, the 30 E3 users could take the $17.00 bundle in place of Standard, and the six partners would each add a Calling Plan. If the partners had E3 with Teams Enterprise like everyone else, the firm would need 36 Teams Phone Standard licenses, and its Microsoft bill for the phone system would be $60.00 a month higher. The carrier is a separate decision, and it comes down to [which PSTN connectivity option fits the firm](https://www.answerstack.io/q/how-do-i-choose-a-pstn-connectivity-option-for-teams-phone).","introHtml":"Suppose a 36-person firm wants a main number with an auto attendant, a call queue for its support group, and a phone in the lobby. The auto attendant and the queue each have their own resource account. Six partners have Microsoft 365 E5 that includes Teams. The other 30 people have Microsoft 365 E3 with Teams Enterprise. The firm plans to use Atlantech's Operator Connect service as its carrier.
\nThe six partners need nothing more from Microsoft for the phone system. The 30 E3 users each need Teams Phone Standard, which comes to $300.00 a month at the US list price. The subscription is paid yearly, so that is $3,600.00 for the year. The lobby phone needs one Shared Space license. The two resource accounts need two Resource Account licenses, which cost nothing as long as the firm's allotment covers two. Atlantech then quotes the calling service, and Microsoft asks for no Calling Plan.
\nChange one assumption and the list changes. If the firm made Microsoft the carrier for all 36 people, the 30 E3 users could take the $17.00 bundle in place of Standard, and the six partners would each add a Calling Plan. If the partners had E3 with Teams Enterprise like everyone else, the firm would need 36 Teams Phone Standard licenses, and its Microsoft bill for the phone system would be $60.00 a month higher. The carrier is a separate decision, and it comes down to which PSTN connectivity option fits the firm.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":60},{"id":"b4d53835-5b7d-4f25-8b8f-4262d04b4aa4","sectionKey":"what_you_don_t_need_a_teams_phone_license_for","sectionType":"markdown_section","heading":"What you don't need a Teams Phone license for","introMarkdown":"Calls between colleagues in Teams don't need one. Microsoft's [add-on licensing page](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-add-on-licensing/microsoft-teams-add-on-licensing) says most Microsoft 365 plans let Teams users call each other inside the organization. Those calls run on the Teams license the users already have. The Teams Phone license adds the phone system features, such as auto attendants and call queues, and it is what a carrier connection attaches to.\n\nDialing in to a meeting from a phone is a different license as well. That is Audio Conferencing, and the same page says it doesn't require a Teams Phone license. It also says an Audio Conferencing license is already included in an E5 subscription. A company that only wants people to join meetings by phone can skip Teams Phone for those users.","introHtml":"Calls between colleagues in Teams don't need one. Microsoft's add-on licensing page says most Microsoft 365 plans let Teams users call each other inside the organization. Those calls run on the Teams license the users already have. The Teams Phone license adds the phone system features, such as auto attendants and call queues, and it is what a carrier connection attaches to.
\nDialing in to a meeting from a phone is a different license as well. That is Audio Conferencing, and the same page says it doesn't require a Teams Phone license. It also says an Audio Conferencing license is already included in an E5 subscription. A company that only wants people to join meetings by phone can skip Teams Phone for those users.
\n","outroMarkdown":null,"outroHtml":null,"contentJson":{},"configJson":{},"noteMarkdown":null,"noteHtml":null,"sortOrder":70}],"citations":[{"title":"Teams Phone licensing - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-phone-licensing","excerpt":"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.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"License combinations that grant Teams Phone (Teams Enterprise with Microsoft 365 E5 (no Teams); Teams Enterprise with Teams Phone Standard; legacy Microsoft 365 E5; Office 365 F3 with Teams Phone Standard for Frontline Workers); the statement that with any Microsoft 365 E5 it isn't necessary to also","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":"Most Microsoft 365 plans allow Teams users to make peer-to-peer calls within your organization using VoIP technology. However, you might want to add licenses for setting up Teams Phone PBX capabilities and connecting to the PSTN for external calling.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"Most Microsoft 365 plans allow peer-to-peer VoIP calling within the organization; Teams Phone requires a separate add-on license and external calling requires a PSTN connectivity option; Audio Conferencing does not require a Teams Phone license and is included in E5 but bought separately on E1 and E","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"What is Teams Phone","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-is-phone-system-in-office-365","excerpt":"By default, calls between Teams users in your organization are handled natively within Teams, and never go to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), removing operator toll costs for calls that stay internal to your organization.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"Calls between Teams users in the same organization are handled natively within Teams and never go to the PSTN, removing operator toll costs for internal calls; Teams Phone is call control and PBX in the Microsoft 365 cloud; a deployment needs user or resource account licensing for the Teams Phone ap","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":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"The user account must be licensed with the Teams Phone application and equipped with PSTN service from the provider of choice; the four connectivity models; Microsoft Calling Plan requires a Calling Plan license while Operator Connect, Teams Phone Mobile, and Direct Routing require a third-party pro","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft"},{"title":"Microsoft Teams Shared Space licensing","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-add-on-licensing/teams-shared-device-license","excerpt":"Prior to April 2026, this license was called Microsoft Teams Shared Devices license.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"The Shared Space license designates devices including common area Teams Phone devices as shared devices; prior to April 2026 it was called Microsoft Teams Shared Devices; each license enables one device; included service plans are Microsoft Teams Phone (previously known as Phone System), Intune P1, ","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Plan for Shared Calling - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/shared-calling-plan","excerpt":"With Shared Calling, end users don't need a dedicated phone number or a calling plan. They only require a license for Teams Phone.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"Shared Calling uses the phone number of a resource account associated with an auto attendant for inbound and outbound PSTN calls; setup assigns Teams Phone licenses and no phone number to the users; inbound PSTN calls connect through the auto attendant and outbound calls show the auto attendant call","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"},{"title":"Manage resource accounts in Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/aa-cq-manage-resource-accounts","excerpt":"Subscriptions with Teams Phone have access to a zero-cost allocation of Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses, and if more are needed, extra Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licenses can be purchased at a cost.","quoteText":null,"sourceRole":"PRIMARY","verifiedAt":"2026-09-15T00:00:00","supportsText":"Each resource account requires a Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account license; subscriptions with Teams Phone have access to a zero-cost allocation and the purchase must still be completed at zero cost at checkout; one license per auto attendant or call queue with at least five recommended; phone ","domain":"learn.microsoft.com","publisherName":"Microsoft Learn"}],"revisions":[{"revisedAt":"2026-07-18T03:41:33.762+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 Teams Phone license do I need?","text":"What Teams Phone license do I need?","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-teams-phone-license-do-i-need","answerCount":1,"datePublished":"2026-05-23T03:41:33.762","about":[{"@type":"Thing","name":"Teams Phone"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"Telecommunications"}],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The license you need depends on what the account already has and what the account is for. A person with any Microsoft 365 E5 license already has the phone system included, so they need no separate Teams Phone Standard add-on. A person with Teams on an eligible plan that doesn't include the phone system needs Teams Phone Standard, or the Teams Phone with Calling Plan bundle if Microsoft will also be the phone carrier. A shared phone in a lobby takes a Teams Shared Space license, and the resource account behind an auto attendant or call queue takes a Teams Phone Resource Account license.","url":"https://www.answerstack.io/q/what-teams-phone-license-do-i-need","upvoteCount":0,"datePublished":"2026-05-23T03:41:33.762","dateModified":"2026-09-14T00:00:00","citation":[{"@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":"What is Teams Phone","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-is-phone-system-in-office-365"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft - PSTN connectivity options","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/pstn-connectivity"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Microsoft Teams Shared Space licensing","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/teams-add-on-licensing/teams-shared-device-license"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Plan for Shared Calling - Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/shared-calling-plan"},{"@type":"CreativeWork","name":"Manage resource accounts in Microsoft Teams","url":"https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/aa-cq-manage-resource-accounts"}]}}}