Evaluating when to use Calling Plan versus Direct Routing

There are a few configurations available for your PSTN connectivity solution. PSTN allows your users to make calls outside your company to any number in the world.

The easiest telephony solution to implement with Microsoft Teams is Teams Phone with Calling Plan. This is a cloud-based solution in which Microsoft is your PSTN carrier and provides Private Branch Exchange (PBX) capabilities as well so that your users can make calls within the organization, as well as globally. Microsoft 365 Business Voice includes Calling Plan and is available as a separate add-on subscription. It is also included in Microsoft 365 E5 subscriptions.

As for your complete solution, all organizations will require Phone System (included in Business Voice). For connectivity to PSTN for global calling, you can choose Microsoft for the carrier, or connect your existing carrier with Direct Routing.

Microsoft supports different configurations that...