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Query regarding Calling feature in Microsoft Teams

Amrita Dubey 0 Reputation points
2026-06-01T04:28:32.95+00:00

Hello, can we call any person by dialing the phone number in India and outside India using Microsoft Teams, in the following scenerio, and if yes what is the full procedure and requirement of implementing this feature:
1- If the person uses Microsoft Teams
2- If the person does not use Microsoft Teams

Let me know the whole process and plans to enable this also if any third party service is needed or not.

Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Teams for business | Meetings and calls | Audio and video

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  1. Alina Le 2,535 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-06-01T05:07:25.9833333+00:00

    Hello @Amrita Dubey

    I understand you would like to know whether Microsoft Teams can be used to call people using a phone number, both within India and internationally, and how this works in two situations

    • When the person uses Microsoft Teams.
    • When the person does not use Microsoft Teams.

    You are also looking for the full setup process, licensing, and whether any third party service is required. I will walk you through this step by step so you can clearly see what is possible and what needs to be configured.

    Microsoft Teams supports two main types of calling:

    1. Teams to Teams (internet-based calls)

    • This is the simplest scenario.
    • If both users have Microsoft Teams accounts
    • You can call them using their email or name
    • No phone number or extra setup is required
    • Works globally as long as both users have internet
    • This is already included in standard Microsoft 365 subscriptions that include Teams.

    2. Teams to Phone Number (Public Switched Telephone Network or PSTN calls)

    This is what allows you to dial a mobile number or landline in India or any other country.

    • This feature is not enabled by default.
    • It requires additional setup and licensing.
    • It connects Teams to the telecom network.

    To call mobile or landline numbers, you need what Microsoft calls "Teams Phone" capability.

    If you want users in your organization to open Teams and dial any mobile or landline number (India or international), just like a normal phone call .To make that happen in India, you will need 3 main things:

    • Microsoft Teams + Teams Phone license
    • A telecom provider (like Airtel, Tata)
    • Connect Teams to that provider (Operator Connect)

    2.1. Assign Teams Phone license

    A Teams Phone license is an add-on that turns Microsoft Teams into a phone system, not just a chat and meeting app.

    • Go to Microsoft 365 Admin Center
    • Select "Users"
    • Assign:
      • Microsoft 365 license
      • Teams Phone add-on
    • Expected result: Users will see the Calls tab and dial pad

    User's image

    *For your reference:

    Teams Phone licensing - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

    Teams dial pad access - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

    2.2. Get a telecom provider (India requirement)

    Teams cannot call normal phone numbers by itself. It needs a telecom network connection.

    • Choose a provider
    • Purchase Teams Phone service from that provider

    You now have PSTN connectivity (real phone network)

    *For your reference: Plan for Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

    2.3. Connect the operator to Teams

    This step links your Teams environment with the telecom provider

    • Open Teams Admin Center
    • Go to Voice -> Operators
    • Select your provider
    • Click Add as my operator

    Teams is now connected to the telecom network

    *For your reference: Configure Operator Connect for India - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

    2.4. Get phone numbers

    Users need phone numbers to make and receive calls

    • Request numbers from your telecom provider
    • Numbers will be added to your Teams environment
    • Numbers appear in: "Voice" -> "Phone numbers"

    2.5. Assign phone numbers to users

    This allows each user to start calling externally

    • Go to Teams Admin Center
    • Navigate to Voice -> Phone numbers
    • Select a number
    • Assign it to a user

    User becomes fully enabled for calling

    *For your reference: Manage phone numbers for users - Microsoft Teams | Microsoft Learn

    __

    I have gathered as much information as possible to support you. However, to make the setup process smoother and more aligned with your company’s requirements, it would be best for you to work directly with Microsoft Engineering Support. They can arrange a call with you, understand your needs in detail, and ensure everything is configured properly according to your specific conditions and expectations.

    As an Independent Advisor in this user-to-user forum, I am not authorized to access your system or back-end data to support you directly. However, I can help you move forward by providing detailed guidance on how to reach out to the Microsoft Engineering Team via phone to help get you set up professionally:

    Please follow the detailed steps below.

    (If you are not the global admin, please kindly ask your IT Admin to do it for you)

    • Sign into the "Microsoft Admin Center"
    • After clicking on "Help & Support" button like this image, you can type "I need agent support via phone or email". After that, you can click on "Contact support"
    • Choose contact method: "Phone"
    • Fill all the information in this contact support details, please describe your situation carefully so they will have enough information to help you.
    • Finally, clicking on "Contact me"

    User's image

    User's image User's image User's image

    After completing them, you will receive an email appointment for a meeting to review this issue professionally together.

    Kind Regards,

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment"

    Note: Please follow the steps in "our documentation" to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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  2. AI answer

    2026-06-01T04:29:09.03+00:00

    Yes, Microsoft Teams can be enabled to call any regular phone number in India and outside India, but only if Teams Phone and a PSTN connectivity option are properly licensed and configured. Without this, calling is limited to Teams-to-Teams (VoIP) calls only.

    Below is what is possible in each scenario and what is required.

    1. If the person being called uses Microsoft Teams

    a) Teams-to-Teams (no PSTN, no extra plans)

    • Any user with a standard Microsoft 365 plan that includes Teams can make peer-to-peer VoIP calls to another Teams user inside the organization.
    • This does not require Teams Phone or any PSTN connectivity.
    • This works only if both sides use Teams; it does not reach a normal phone number.

    b) Teams user calling another Teams user’s phone number (PSTN)

    To dial a phone number (mobile/landline) for a person who also has Teams:

    1. Enable Teams Phone (PBX)
      • Assign a Teams Phone license (for example, Teams Phone Standard or Teams Phone with Calling Plan) to the caller.
      • Teams Phone provides PBX features and enables the dial pad for PSTN calling.
      • Reference: Teams Phone is a separate add-on license that enables PBX and PSTN connectivity options.
    2. Choose a PSTN connectivity option One of the following is required so that Teams can reach the public telephone network:
      • Microsoft Calling Plan
        • Buy a Teams Phone with Calling Plan bundle, or
        • Buy Teams Phone Standard + a separate Calling Plan license.
        • Calling Plans provide phone numbers and PSTN access (domestic/international/pay-as-you-go) with Microsoft as the carrier.
      • Operator Connect
        • Use a certified third‑party PSTN operator that participates in Operator Connect.
        • Requires a contract with that operator and a Teams Phone license.
      • Operator Connect for India (for India PSTN numbers)
        • For India, there is a special regulatory model:
          • Must obtain an India-specific Microsoft Teams Phone license from a licensed telecom operator in India, even if an E5/Teams Phone entitlement already exists.
          • The India operator provides the phone numbers and PSTN access.
    3. Assign phone numbers and policies
      • Assign a user (subscriber) phone number from the chosen PSTN option to the Teams user.
      • Configure any required policies (e.g., for India wireline/wireless numbers, location-based routing and location consent as required by regulations).
    4. Use the dial pad in Teams
      • Once licensed and configured, the user can:
        • Open Calls in Teams and use the dial pad to dial any phone number.
        • On mobile, use Calls → Dial pad to call PSTN numbers.

    Result: The Teams user can call the other person’s phone number (even if that person also has Teams). The call goes over PSTN.

    2. If the person being called does not use Microsoft Teams

    To call someone who does not use Teams (only has a regular phone number), the requirements are the same as for any PSTN call:

    1. Teams Phone license
      • Assign a Teams Phone license to the caller to enable PBX and PSTN calling capabilities.
    2. PSTN connectivity option
      • Choose one of:
        • Teams Phone with Microsoft Calling Plan (Microsoft as carrier), or
        • Teams Phone with Operator Connect, or
        • Operator Connect for India for India PSTN numbers.
    3. Assign a phone number and calling plan
      • For Calling Plans: assign a user phone number and the appropriate Domestic/International/Pay-As-You-Go Calling Plan.
      • For Operator Connect: assign numbers provided by the operator to the Teams users.
    4. Place calls using the dial pad
      • The Teams user can then dial any PSTN number (subject to plan/region restrictions) in India or outside India.

    Result: The callee does not need Teams. The call is delivered to their regular phone via PSTN.

    3. Is a third-party service needed?

    • Not strictly required if Microsoft Calling Plans are available and used:
      • Teams Phone + Microsoft Calling Plan = fully in-the-cloud solution with Microsoft as the PSTN carrier.
    • Third-party operator is required if:
      • Choosing Operator Connect, or
      • Using Operator Connect for India, where:
        • An India-licensed telecom operator must provide the India-specific Teams Phone license and phone numbers.

    4. High-level implementation steps

    1. Decide scope and geography
      • Identify which users need PSTN calling and whether they need India-only or international calling.
    2. Choose licensing model
      • For simple, all‑cloud: Teams Phone with Calling Plan (if available in the country/region).
      • For using existing carriers or India-specific requirements: Teams Phone with Operator Connect or Operator Connect for India.
    3. Purchase and assign licenses
      • Assign Teams Phone licenses to users.
      • Assign Calling Plan licenses or ensure Operator Connect subscriptions are in place.
      • For India: obtain and assign India-specific Teams Phone licenses from the chosen India operator.
    4. Configure PSTN connectivity
      • For Calling Plans: configure numbers and policies in the Teams admin center.
      • For Operator Connect / Operator Connect for India: connect the operator in Teams admin center and assign numbers.
    5. Test calling
      • Verify that the dial pad appears in Teams.
      • Test calls to:
        • Internal Teams users (VoIP).
        • External PSTN numbers in India.
        • External PSTN numbers outside India (if international calling is enabled).

    References:

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