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Teams Operator Connect and Azure Communication routing

Verified 2026-09-23 · 60 sources · tier 2

Also known as Operator Connect.

Teams Operator Connect uses a Microsoft-certified operator to manage Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) infrastructure while administrators manage users directly in the Teams admin center without deploying their own Session Border Controllers (SBCs) 57. In this model, Azure Communication Services (ACS) PSTN connectivity integrates through Teams Phone connectivity, as Microsoft positions ACS Direct Offer and ACS Direct Routing as legacy telephony options being retired 9.

Architecture and prerequisites

Under Operator Connect, the certified partner provides PSTN access, telephone numbers, U.S. emergency screening service, technical support, service-level agreements (SLAs), and other telephone-service products, none of which are supplied by Microsoft 45. The deployment requires a contract with a third-party service provider rather than a Microsoft Calling Plan license 11. Users assigned Operator Connect numbers must hold a Microsoft Teams Phone license (formerly called a Phone System license on older configuration pages) 42 and must be configured in TeamsOnly coexistence mode 58​44. An organization operating in Islands mode can satisfy this prerequisite by verifying TeamsOnly mode on a per-user basis 44.

A certified provider must be available in each target country or region, requiring customers to evaluate country coverage, number availability, and porting support before deployment 60​43. A single Microsoft Teams tenant can combine multiple PSTN connectivity options—including Operator Connect, Calling Plans, Teams Phone Mobile, and Direct Routing—and can use Operator Connect with more than 1 operator 35. Teams Phone Mobile operates as a distinct connectivity option that allows a user's company-provided, SIM-enabled mobile number to serve as their Teams phone number through a participating mobile carrier 54. Teams Phone Mobile requires TeamsOnly mode per user rather than tenant-wide 55, but unlike Operator Connect, it supports user numbers only and does not support Audio Conferencing or voice application numbers 56.

Operator Connect supports user phone numbers, Audio Conferencing numbers, and voice application numbers for resources such as Auto Attendants and Call Queues 37. Microsoft notes that Operator Connect service numbers support significantly higher call concurrency than user numbers, handling hundreds of simultaneous calls compared to only a few on user numbers 48.

Administrative configuration and onboarding

Microsoft recommends a 4-step onboarding sequence: verify prerequisites, choose a certified operator, plan phone numbers, and configure Operator Connect in the Teams admin center 38. Tenants source numbers through 3 methods: purchasing new numbers from the operator, porting existing numbers, or migrating numbers from another Teams Phone PSTN connectivity option 36.

Administrators enable, modify, and remove operators in the Teams admin center under Voice > Operator Connect 21. Enabling an operator involves selecting the provider on the All operators tab, choosing countries or regions, submitting contact details, accepting the data transfer notice, and choosing Add as my operator 22. During this flow, the administrator's full name and email address are automatically shared with the operator; specifying company size is mandatory, whereas supplying a phone number is optional 10. Administrators manage services by country or region, suspend operators, or remove them under the My operators tab 34. Before removing an operator entirely or from a specific region, all numbers assigned to users in that scope must be unassigned, and the operator must be contacted to release the numbers 47. In the Teams admin center interface, a user number must be unassigned before the Release option becomes available 46.

Numbers are acquired through the operator's external website rather than the Teams admin center, requiring the customer's Microsoft 365 tenant ID during the order process 41. Once ordered, the operator uploads the numbers directly to the customer tenant, after which they appear under Voice > Phone numbers alongside their provider details for administrative assignment 40. Emergency address association follows 1 of 3 models defined by the operator: the operator assigns the address and permits admin modifications, the operator delegates assignment entirely to the admin, or the operator assigns the address and blocks administrative changes 20. When the operator locks emergency address modifications, the administrator must contact the operator directly to apply address updates 19.

Number migration paths

Moving numbers from Microsoft Calling Plans requires asking the operator to port the numbers, waiting for the operator to upload them to the tenant, and assigning them to users as Operator Connect numbers 23.

Migrating existing Direct Routing numbers follows a defined 4-step sequence: identifying and unassigning the Direct Routing number, removing the online voice routing policy, acquiring the numbers from the operator, and assigning the Operator Connect numbers 13. Administrators confirm a user has a Direct Routing assignment by running Get-CsPhoneNumberAssignment -AssignedPstnTargetId <user> and validating that NumberType reports DirectRouting 12.

For online-assigned numbers, the customer contacts the operator to execute the migration on an agreed schedule 14. If Get-CsOnlineUser shows an E.164 number in OnPremLineUri, the number was assigned on-premises and synchronized to Microsoft 365, requiring a different migration procedure 15. On-premises-assigned migrations incur service downtime, and Microsoft advises coordinating with the operator prior to clearing the line URI using Set-CsUser -Identity <user> -LineURI $null in Skype for Business Server PowerShell 16. Once directory synchronization removes the on-premises value, administrators run Remove-CsPhoneNumberAssignment -PhoneNumberType DirectRouting, which typically completes within 10 minutes but can take up to 24 hours in rare scenarios 18. Following unassignment, the administrator removes the user's online voice routing policy by executing Grant-CsOnlineVoiceRoutingPolicy -Identity <user> -PolicyName $Null 17.

Azure Communication Services and routing integration

Within Azure Communication Services, telephony capabilities focus on Teams Phone connectivity, treating ACS Direct Offer and ACS Direct Routing as retiring legacy options 9. In this framework, Operator Connect provides a fully managed implementation where the participating carrier manages SBCs and PSTN routing without requiring customer on-premises equipment 8. Teams Phone extensibility in ACS supports 3 PSTN options: Calling Plans, Operator Connect, and Direct Routing 53. From November 1, 2025, On-Behalf-Of (OBO) PSTN outbound calls and server-initiated outbound calls via Teams Phone extensibility may vary based on the Operator Connect carrier, and calls may fail without carrier adjustments 52.

Historically, operator onboarding to Operator Connect could utilize Azure Communications Gateway (ACG), which aggregated all enterprise traffic across a single multitenant SIP trunk to Microsoft and required a formal Operator Connect or Teams Phone Mobile agreement 3​1. However, Microsoft's archived overview says ACG would retire on October 30, 2025, halted new onboarding, and directed operators to migrate to alternative certified Direct Routing SBC solutions 4. WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that Azure Communications Gateway should not be offered as a current path for an operator joining Operator Connect because its stated retirement date has passed and its documentation is archived 2.

For standalone ACS Direct Routing implementations, SBC Fully Qualified Domain Names (FQDNs) cannot overlap with Teams Direct Routing SBC FQDNs, and each SBC FQDN can associate with only 1 Communication resource 6. Furthermore, ACS Direct Routing lacks support for multitenant trunks, media bypass, Location-Based Routing, Enhanced 911, Government Clouds, and in-band DTMF, requiring RFC 2833 instead 7. WarmTransfer's reading of the sources is that the unmarked ACS direct routing pages should be read as describing a legacy path because the ACS PSTN concepts page calls ACS Direct Routing a retiring legacy option 5.

Regional deployment: India

Operators provide an India-specific Teams Phone licence that must be procured for users even if they already hold Teams Phone through a licence such as E5 26. Auto Attendant and Call Queue resource accounts can use India Operator Connect numbers without requiring this India Teams Phone licence 30. Support boundaries also differ: customers must contact the operator first for technical support, and Microsoft may reject a customer support case if the investigation shows the operator can address the issue 31. Microsoft's Operator Connect for India guidance covers only non-OSP deployments that follow India toll rules, while Microsoft support for OSP calls with international numbers is pending 29.

Numbers in India fall into 2 non-convertible types that must be designated at order time 27:

  • Wireline numbers: Mandate Location-Based Routing (LBR) linked to a specific enterprise network site, and operating-system location does not replace this LBR configuration 33. PSTN calls from an unknown or different site are not allowed 33. If Windows falls back to a manually configured default location, Teams strips the coordinates and disables PSTN calling until the operating system detects a location automatically 25.
  • Wireless numbers: Support roaming within India provided that location-capable Teams clients share an active, in-country operating-system location 32. Supported Teams IP phones and Teams Rooms instead rely on an India emergency location assigned to the signed-in user or resource account 32. Wireless numbers cannot make PSTN calls from Teams web clients, custom Azure Communication Services SDK clients, SIP devices, or Teams IP phones running in UserSignIn mode 24. Teams Phone Mobile is not currently supported in India, and India wireless numbers do not integrate with a user's mobile SIM 28.

Support boundaries

Microsoft defines Operator Connect under a shared responsibility model between Microsoft and the participating operator 59​51. Microsoft assigns Teams services administration and the Operator Connect integration to Microsoft while assigning PSTN connectivity, number provisioning, porting, calling services, and PSTN troubleshooting to the operator 59​49​50.

Area Microsoft responsibility Operator responsibility
Administrative portal Teams admin center functionality 49 Operator portal ordering 41
Services and software Teams services and Teams Phone administration 49 Calling services and SLAs 50​45
Telephony infrastructure Integration between Teams and Operator Connect 49 PSTN connectivity, carrier SBCs, and PSTN troubleshooting 59​50​8
Number administration User assignment in Teams admin center 57​40 Number provisioning, porting, and tenant uploads 59​50​40

See also

Applicability

Applies to: Microsoft Teams Phone, Microsoft Teams admin center, Microsoft Teams PowerShell, Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile, Microsoft Teams Phone - Operator Connect for India, Microsoft Azure Communications Gateway, Microsoft Azure Communication Services, Microsoft Teams Phone extensibility, and Microsoft Azure Communication Services direct routing. Deployments: hybrid, multi-tenant, operator-managed, and operator-managed-pstn. Sources checked 2026-09-23. Regional specifics apply to India regarding licence models, wireline LBR, and wireless device exclusions 26​33​24. Microsoft's archived Azure Communications Gateway overview states the service would retire on October 30, 2025 4. Changes to On-Behalf-Of PSTN outbound calls and server-initiated outbound calls through Teams Phone extensibility apply from November 1, 2025 52. A cited count of 105 global operators is dated as of 2025-09-01 and does not reflect a current count 39.

What remains uncertain

  • ACS telephony retirement dates for Direct Offer and Direct Routing are not covered by the sources below.
  • Dynamic emergency calling, Emergency Routing Service Provider routing, and PIDF-LO handling for U.S. emergency calling on Operator Connect are not covered by the sources below.
  • Technical carrier-side adjustments required by Operator Connect carriers for Teams Phone extensibility On-Behalf-Of outbound calls after November 1, 2025 are not covered by the sources below.
  • Syntax and procedures for assigning Operator Connect numbers via Set-CsPhoneNumberAssignment with PhoneNumberType OperatorConnect are not covered by the sources below.
  • Teams Phone Mobile configuration steps and number management workflows in the Teams admin center are not covered by the sources below.
  • Operator Connect support for media bypass and local media optimisation is not covered by the sources below.
  • Operator Connect program requirements for operators, including MAPS peering, certified SBC requirements, and support tiers, are not covered by the sources below.
  • The current count of Operator Connect operators and per-country availability are not covered by the sources below.

See also

Composed of

Referenced by

Sources

  1. 1
    In the Azure Communications Gateway design, all enterprises' traffic shared a single multitenant SIP trunk toward Microsoft.
    What is Azure Communications Gateway? · Architecture, paragraph beginning 'Traffic from all enterprises shares a single SIP trunk' · Checked 2026-09-23
  2. 2
    As of 2026-09-23, Azure Communications Gateway should not be offered as a current path for an operator joining Operator Connect, because its stated retirement date has passed and its documentation is archived.inferred
    What is Azure Communications Gateway? · Top-of-page Important callout; front matter is_archived and canonicalUrl under /previous-versions/ · Checked 2026-09-23
  3. 3
    Azure Communications Gateway was only for telecommunications operators. Using it for Operator Connect or Teams Phone Mobile also required a signed Operator Connect or Teams Phone Mobile agreement with Microsoft.
    What is Azure Communications Gateway? · Important callouts after the introductory bullet list · Checked 2026-09-23
  4. 4
    Microsoft's archived Azure Communications Gateway overview says the service would retire on October 30, 2025, with no new customers being onboarded. Operators were told to move to another Teams Direct Routing certified SBC solution.
    What is Azure Communications Gateway? · Top-of-page Important callout · Checked 2026-09-23
  5. 5
    The ACS direct routing provisioning and known-limitations pages carry no retirement notice, although the ACS PSTN concepts page calls ACS Direct Routing a retiring legacy option. The unmarked pages should be read as describing a legacy path.inferred
    Use direct routing to connect existing telephony service · Whole page (no retirement callout present), compared with ms-learn-acs-telephony-concept Telephony overview · Checked 2026-09-23
  6. 6
    An Azure Communication Services direct routing SBC FQDN must be different from any Teams Direct Routing SBC FQDN, and one SBC FQDN can pair with only one Communication resource.
    Azure direct routing known limitations - Azure Communication Services · Azure Communication Services direct routing known limitations, bullets 4-5 · Checked 2026-09-23
  7. 7
    Azure Communication Services direct routing does not support multitenant trunks, media bypass, location-based routing, Enhanced 911, in-band DTMF (RFC 2833 is required instead) or Government Clouds.
    Azure direct routing known limitations - Azure Communication Services · Azure Communication Services direct routing known limitations, bullet list · Checked 2026-09-23
  8. 8
    Microsoft's ACS documentation describes Operator Connect as a fully managed service with no customer hardware footprint. The participating carrier manages PSTN calling and SBCs for the customer.
    Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) integration concepts for Azure Communication Services · Teams Phone connectivity, numbered item 2 'Operator Connect' · Checked 2026-09-23
  9. 9
    The ACS PSTN concepts page says Azure Communication Services will now support only Teams Phone connectivity. It describes ACS Direct Offer and ACS Direct Routing as legacy telephony options being retired.
    Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) integration concepts for Azure Communication Services · Telephony overview, final two sentences · Checked 2026-09-23
  10. 10
    When an operator is enabled, the admin's full name and email address are shared with the operator automatically. Company size is required and a phone number is optional.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Enable an operator, step 3 'Provide contact information' · Checked 2026-09-23
  11. 11
    Operator Connect requires a contract with a third-party service provider. It does not require a Microsoft Calling Plan license.
    PSTN connectivity options · PSTN connectivity options > 'Operator Connect' bullet, sub-bullet 1; compare 'Microsoft Teams Calling Plan' sub-bullet · Checked 2026-09-23
  12. 12
    To confirm a user holds a Direct Routing number, run Get-CsPhoneNumberAssignment -AssignedPstnTargetId <user> and check that NumberType is DirectRouting.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Move numbers from Direct Routing to Operator Connect > Step 1, first code block · Checked 2026-09-23
  13. 13
    Moving from Direct Routing to Operator Connect runs in this order: 1 identify and unassign the Direct Routing number, 2 remove the user's online voice routing policy, 3 acquire numbers from the operator, 4 assign the Operator Connect numbers.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Move numbers from Direct Routing to Operator Connect, Step 1 through Step 4 headings · Checked 2026-09-23
  14. 14
    For Direct Routing numbers assigned online, the customer contacts the operator, and the operator migrates the numbers to Operator Connect on an agreed date and time.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Step 1 > bold paragraph 'To migrate existing Direct Routing numbers assigned online to Operator Connect' · Checked 2026-09-23
  15. 15
    If OnPremLineUri in Get-CsOnlineUser output holds an E.164 number, the Direct Routing number was assigned on-premises and synchronised to Microsoft 365. The migration path then differs from the online-assigned case.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Move numbers from Direct Routing to Operator Connect > Step 1, paragraph after second code block · Checked 2026-09-23
  16. 16
    When migrating on-premises-assigned Direct Routing numbers, the number is out of service during the migration. Microsoft advises coordinating with the operator before running Set-CsUser -Identity <user> -LineURI $null in Skype for Business Server PowerShell.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Step 1 > 'To migrate Direct Routing numbers assigned on-premises' and the Important callout · Checked 2026-09-23
  17. 17
    After the Direct Routing number is unassigned, remove the user's online voice routing policy with Grant-CsOnlineVoiceRoutingPolicy -Identity <user> -PolicyName $Null.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Move numbers from Direct Routing to Operator Connect > Step 2 · Checked 2026-09-23
  18. 18
    After on-premises sync clears the line URI, the number is unassigned with Remove-CsPhoneNumberAssignment -PhoneNumberType DirectRouting. Removal can take up to 10 minutes, and in rare cases up to 24 hours.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Step 1 > paragraphs following the expected-output console block · Checked 2026-09-23
  19. 19
    If the operator assigns emergency addresses and does not allow changes, the admin must contact the operator to change a number's emergency address.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Set up phone numbers > Assign numbers to emergency addresses, bullet 3 · Checked 2026-09-23
  20. 20
    The operator decides how emergency addresses attach to Operator Connect numbers, using one of three models. It assigns them and lets the admin change them, or leaves assignment to the admin, or assigns them and blocks admin changes.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Set up phone numbers > Assign numbers to emergency addresses, three bullets · Checked 2026-09-23
  21. 21
    Admins enable, edit and remove Operator Connect operators in the Teams admin center under Voice > Operator Connect.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Enable an operator, first paragraph · Checked 2026-09-23
  22. 22
    To enable an operator: choose it on the All operators tab, select the countries or regions, provide contact information, accept the data transfer notice, then select Add as my operator.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Enable an operator, numbered steps 1-5 · Checked 2026-09-23
  23. 23
    Moving from Calling Plans to Operator Connect takes three steps: ask the operator to port the numbers, wait for the operator to upload them to the tenant after porting, then assign them as Operator Connect numbers.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Move numbers from Calling Plans to Operator Connect, steps 1-3 · Checked 2026-09-23
  24. 24
    India wireless numbers do not work for PSTN calls on the Teams web client or in custom Azure Communication Services SDK clients. SIP devices and Teams IP phones in UserSignIn mode are also unsupported.
    Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams · Client and device limitations, bullets 2-5 · Checked 2026-09-23
  25. 25
    For India wireline users with LBR, if Windows falls back to a manually configured default location, Teams strips the coordinates. PSTN calling is then disabled until the operating system detects a location automatically.
    Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams · Wireless numbers > Location sharing for Teams clients > Important callout 'Location detection requirements for Location-Based Routing (wireline numbers)' · Checked 2026-09-23
  26. 26
    With Operator Connect for India, the Indian operator supplies an India-specific Teams Phone licence. Users need it even if they already have Teams Phone through a licence such as E5.
    Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams · Licensing and deployment requirements, first bullet · Checked 2026-09-23
  27. 27
    An India wireline number cannot be converted to a wireless number. The two types are not interchangeable, so the service type for each number must be specified at order time.
    Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams · Number type and access controls > Important callout; Client and device limitations, last bullet · Checked 2026-09-23
  28. 28
    Teams Phone Mobile is not currently supported in India, and India wireless numbers are not integrated with a user's mobile SIM.
    Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams · Wireless numbers > final paragraph before 'Number type and access controls' · Checked 2026-09-23
  29. 29
    Microsoft's Operator Connect for India guidance covers only non-OSP deployments that follow India toll rules. Microsoft support for OSP calls with international numbers is pending.
    Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams · Other Service Provider (OSP) deployments, final paragraph · Checked 2026-09-23
  30. 30
    Operator Connect for India numbers can be assigned to Auto Attendant and Call Queue resource accounts, and those resource accounts do not need the India Teams Phone licence.
    Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams · Licensing and deployment requirements, fourth bullet · Checked 2026-09-23
  31. 31
    For Operator Connect for India, customers contact the operator first for technical support. Microsoft may reject a customer support case if the investigation shows the operator can address the issue.
    Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams · Support boundaries · Checked 2026-09-23
  32. 32
    India wireless numbers can roam within India. Location-capable Teams clients must share an in-country OS location. Supported Teams IP phones and Teams Rooms instead rely on an India emergency location assigned to the signed-in user or resource account.
    Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams · Choose a wireline or wireless number > Wireless numbers; and Number type and access controls table · Checked 2026-09-23
  33. 33
    India wireline numbers need Location-Based Routing, with each number tied to a network site. PSTN calls from an unknown or different site are not allowed, and operating-system location does not replace this LBR configuration.
    Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams · Choose a wireline or wireless number > Wireline numbers, including the Important callout · Checked 2026-09-23
  34. 34
    On the My operators tab, admins can manage an operator's services by country or region, suspend an operator, or remove an operator.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Manage your operators · Checked 2026-09-23
  35. 35
    A single Teams tenant can combine several PSTN connectivity options, including Operator Connect alongside Calling Plans, Teams Phone Mobile and Direct Routing. It can also use the same option with more than one operator.
    PSTN connectivity options · Use more than one PSTN connectivity type, including the Note · Checked 2026-09-23
  36. 36
    Users on Operator Connect can get numbers in three ways: new numbers bought from the operator, existing numbers ported in, or numbers migrated from another Teams Phone PSTN connectivity option.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Onboarding > Step 3: Plan your phone numbers · Checked 2026-09-23
  37. 37
    Operator Connect supports user phone numbers, Audio Conferencing numbers and voice application numbers (for example Auto Attendants and Call Queues).
    PSTN connectivity options · Note after PSTN connectivity options list; and 'PSTN connectivity types comparison' table row 'Supports Audio Conferencing and voice application numbers' · Checked 2026-09-23
  38. 38
    Microsoft's recommended Operator Connect onboarding sequence is: 1 verify prerequisites, 2 choose a certified operator, 3 plan phone numbers, 4 configure Operator Connect in the Teams admin center.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Onboarding > Step 1 through Step 4 headings · Checked 2026-09-23
  39. 39
    The Teams Phone extensibility cost page (ms.date 2025-09-01) says Teams offers integration with 105 operators worldwide through Operator Connect. That figure is dated and is not a current count.
    Cost and Connectivity Options for Teams Phone extensibility - An Azure Communication Services article · How to choose a connectivity option > 'Availability' bullet, second paragraph · Checked 2026-09-23
  40. 40
    After the order completes, the operator uploads the numbers to the customer's tenant. They then appear with their provider in the Teams admin center under Voice > Phone numbers, ready to assign.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Acquire numbers for new Teams users, step 4 'Assign numbers' · Checked 2026-09-23
  41. 41
    Operator Connect numbers are ordered on the operator's own website, not in the Teams admin center, and the order requires the customer's Microsoft 365 tenant ID.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Acquire numbers for new Teams users, step 3 'Acquire numbers' · Checked 2026-09-23
  42. 42
    Users who receive Operator Connect numbers must hold a Microsoft Teams Phone license. Older wording on the configure page calls it a Phone System license.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Onboarding > Step 1: Verify prerequisites, bullet 1 · Checked 2026-09-23
  43. 43
    A Microsoft-certified Operator Connect provider must be available in the countries or regions where the service will be deployed.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Onboarding > Step 1: Verify prerequisites, bullet 4; also Requirements section bullet 3 · Checked 2026-09-23
  44. 44
    Users who are assigned Operator Connect numbers must be in TeamsOnly coexistence mode. An organisation in Islands mode can check TeamsOnly per user.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Set up phone numbers > Acquire numbers for new Teams users, step 2 · Checked 2026-09-23
  45. 45
    With Operator Connect, the certified partner supplies PSTN access, phone numbers, U.S. emergency screening service, support, the SLA and other telephone-service products. Microsoft does not supply these.
    PSTN connectivity options · PSTN connectivity options > 'Operator Connect' bullet · Checked 2026-09-23
  46. 46
    In the Teams admin center, a number assigned to a user must be unassigned before Release is available for it.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Release numbers, bullet 2 · Checked 2026-09-23
  47. 47
    Before removing an operator from the organisation or from a country or region, all numbers assigned to users there must be removed, and the operator must be contacted to release them.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Manage your operators > Note · Checked 2026-09-23
  48. 48
    Operator Connect service numbers carry far more concurrent calls than user numbers. Microsoft's example is hundreds of simultaneous calls on a service number versus only a few on a user number.
    Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams · Note under 'Acquire numbers for new Teams users' · Checked 2026-09-23
  49. 49
    Under Operator Connect, Microsoft is responsible for Teams services, Teams Phone administration, Teams admin center functionality, and the integration between Teams and Operator Connect.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Support boundaries > 'Microsoft is responsible for' list · Checked 2026-09-23
  50. 50
    Under Operator Connect, the operator is responsible for PSTN connectivity, telephone number provisioning and porting, calling services, and PSTN-related support and troubleshooting.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Support boundaries > 'Your Operator Connect provider is responsible for' list · Checked 2026-09-23
  51. 51
    Microsoft describes Operator Connect as a shared responsibility between Microsoft and the participating operator.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Support boundaries, first sentence · Checked 2026-09-23
  52. 52
    From November 1, 2025, On-Behalf-Of PSTN outbound calls and server-initiated outbound calls through Teams Phone extensibility may change depending on the Operator Connect carrier. Without carrier adjustments, such calls may fail.
    Cost and Connectivity Options for Teams Phone extensibility - An Azure Communication Services article · Teams licenses requirements > Outbound calling prerequisites > Operator Connect customers · Checked 2026-09-23
  53. 53
    Teams Phone extensibility (Azure Communication Services) supports three PSTN connectivity options: Calling Plans, Operator Connect and Direct Routing.
    Cost and Connectivity Options for Teams Phone extensibility - An Azure Communication Services article · PSTN connectivity options for Teams Phone extensibility · Checked 2026-09-23
  54. 54
    Teams Phone Mobile is a separate PSTN connectivity option. It lets a user's company-provided, SIM-enabled mobile number also serve as their Teams phone number, through a participating mobile operator.
    Plan for Teams Phone Mobile - Microsoft Teams · Plan for Teams Phone Mobile - second paragraph · Checked 2026-09-23
  55. 55
    Users assigned Teams Phone Mobile numbers must be in TeamsOnly mode, but the whole organisation does not need to be.
    Plan for Teams Phone Mobile - Microsoft Teams · Licensing and requirements > Teams mode · Checked 2026-09-23
  56. 56
    Teams Phone Mobile supports user phone numbers only. It does not support Audio Conferencing numbers or voice application numbers such as Auto Attendant and Call Queue numbers.
    Plan for Teams Phone Mobile - Microsoft Teams · When to choose Teams Phone Mobile > Note · Checked 2026-09-23
  57. 57
    Operator Connect uses a Microsoft-certified operator to manage the PSTN infrastructure while administrators manage users in Teams admin center without deploying their own SBCs.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Plan for Operator Connect, introduction · Checked 2026-09-06
  58. 58
    Operator Connect onboarding requires the target users to be configured in Teams Only mode.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Onboarding, Step 1: Verify prerequisites · Checked 2026-09-06
  59. 59
    Microsoft assigns Teams services administration and the Operator Connect integration to Microsoft while assigning PSTN connectivity number provisioning and porting calling service and PSTN troubleshooting to the operator.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Support boundaries · Checked 2026-09-06
  60. 60
    Operator Connect planning requires a certified provider in each deployment country or region and asks the customer to evaluate country coverage number availability and porting support before onboarding.
    Plan for Operator Connect · Onboarding, Steps 1 through 3 · Checked 2026-09-06

Documents

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Azure direct routing known limitations - Azure Communication Services

Microsoft · 2024-04-03 · accessed 2026-09-23

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Configure Operator Connect - Microsoft Teams

Microsoft · 2026-04-23 · accessed 2026-09-23

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Cost and Connectivity Options for Teams Phone extensibility - An Azure Communication Services article

Microsoft · 2026-07-17 · accessed 2026-09-14

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Plan for Operator Connect

Microsoft (Microsoft Learn) · 2026-08-24 · accessed 2026-09-06

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams

Microsoft · 2026-08-07 · accessed 2026-09-23

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Plan for Teams Phone Mobile - Microsoft Teams

Microsoft · 2026-08-21 · accessed 2026-09-23

tier 2 current vendor documentation

PSTN connectivity options

Microsoft (Microsoft Learn) · 2026-08-06 · accessed 2026-09-06

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) integration concepts for Azure Communication Services

Microsoft · 2026-06-22 · accessed 2026-09-23

tier 2 current vendor documentation

Use direct routing to connect existing telephony service

Microsoft · 2023-06-22 · accessed 2026-09-23

tier 2 current vendor documentation

What is Azure Communications Gateway?

Microsoft · 2024-10-22 · accessed 2026-09-23

Cite this page

APA

WarmTransfer. (2026, September 23). Teams Operator Connect and Azure Communication routing. WarmTransfer. https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/teams-operator-connect

BibTeX

@misc{warmtransfer-teams-operator-connect,
  title  = {Teams Operator Connect and Azure Communication routing},
  author = {{WarmTransfer}},
  year   = {2026},
  url    = {https://warmtransfer.net/knowledge/teams-operator-connect},
  note   = {Verified 2026-09-23}
}