In short: Operator Connect is a Microsoft Teams Phone PSTN option where a Microsoft-certified operator supplies numbers and calling, enabled from the Teams admin centre. Users need Teams Phone licences and your organisation needs a contract with the operator, which provides PSTN support and the SLA. It supports user, auto attendant, call queue and conferencing numbers.
What Operator Connect is
Operator Connect is one of the ways to connect Microsoft Teams Phone to the public phone network. Instead of Microsoft being your carrier (as with Teams Calling Plans), a telecoms operator that has completed Microsoft's certification provides the numbers and calls.
The operator connects its network to Microsoft's, so there is nothing to install on your side. Microsoft positions it as a good choice when you want a managed PSTN service without deploying and maintaining your own Session Border Controllers, or when you want to stay with an operator that already offers it.
How Operator Connect works
Setting up Operator Connect follows Microsoft's onboarding steps:
- Check prerequisites. Users need Teams Phone licences and must be in Teams Only mode, and an admin needs the right Teams Phone permissions.
- Choose a certified operator that serves the countries where your users are. Compare number availability, porting support, calling plans and support.
- Plan your numbers. Order new numbers from the operator, port existing ones, or move users from another Teams PSTN option.
- Enable the operator in the Teams admin centre once your contract with it is in place.
- Assign numbers to users, auto attendants and call queues, then test inbound and outbound calls.
Numbers the operator provides appear in your Teams admin centre, so day-to-day changes stay inside Microsoft 365 even though the calls run over the operator's network.
Who is responsible for what
Microsoft describes Operator Connect as a shared responsibility between Microsoft and the operator:
| Microsoft looks after | The operator looks after |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Teams and Teams Phone services | PSTN connectivity and calling services |
| Teams Phone administration and the Teams admin centre | Number provisioning and porting |
| The integration between Teams and Operator Connect | PSTN support, troubleshooting and the SLA |
In practice this means a calling fault goes to your operator, not to Microsoft. That is often the attraction: a named UK support desk, the operator's SLA and contract terms you can negotiate, while numbers are managed in Teams.
Number types and Operator Connect Conferencing
Microsoft's PSTN guidance confirms that Operator Connect supports all three Teams number types:
- User numbers for people's direct dial numbers
- Voice application numbers for auto attendants and call queues
- Audio Conferencing numbers for dial-in to Teams meetings
Operator Connect Conferencing lets your organisation add a participating operator's numbers to its Teams Audio Conferencing bridge, alongside or instead of Microsoft's numbers. It is included in Microsoft's Standard Audio Conferencing licence, and Microsoft also sells a separate Operator Connect Conferencing licence that uses operator numbers only. The operator bills for the numbers it provides.
One point to check with any operator: Microsoft notes that since 1 November 2025, some on-behalf-of outbound calls from auto attendants and call queues, such as callbacks and agent calls on behalf of a queue, may depend on what your operator supports. Ask the operator how it handles them before you migrate.
Choosing an operator
Microsoft publishes an Operator Connect directory listing participating operators and the countries each one serves. Use it rather than relying on any shortlist, because operators join and change their coverage. When comparing operators, look at:
- Coverage in every country and site where you have users
- Porting support for your existing geographic and non-geographic numbers
- Call bundles, contract term and how out-of-bundle calls are billed
- Support hours, fault escalation and the SLA
- Emergency calling and address management
- Whether the operator also offers Operator Connect Conferencing and Teams Phone Mobile
We will help you weigh operators against your requirements and against the other PSTN options.
Operator Connect or another option?
Operator Connect sits between a Microsoft Calling Plan and Direct Routing. It gives you an operator's support and pricing without the work of an SBC, but it cannot connect an on-site PBX, analogue phones or a door entry system the way Direct Routing can. Microsoft supports mixing options, so a common pattern is Operator Connect for most users and Teams Direct Routing for analogue devices or a legacy PBX.
Our comparison of Direct Routing vs Operator Connect vs Calling Plans covers the trade-offs in a table. If you want to keep your numbers and have one UK supplier for Teams calls and Microsoft licences, also look at Forever Teams.
Contact us for help choosing the right PSTN option for Teams.
Why choose your cloud phone system with Forever Systems
We are vendor-neutral. Forever Group supplies and supports several cloud phone platforms, so we recommend the one that fits how your organisation works rather than the one we happen to sell.
- Side-by-side comparison of hosted 3CX, Microsoft Teams Phone, Forever UC, Forever Teams and Webex Calling for your users
- Contact centre and call recording options matched to your call volumes and CRM
- Number porting, handsets and set-up handled for you, including the move off analogue and ISDN lines
- Connectivity checked so call quality is right from day one
- UK support for moves, adds, changes and faults
- For BT Cloud Voice, see our BT Business Partner site cloudvoice.cloud
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations. We do not sell consumer phone services.
Want a vendor-neutral cloud phone system comparison and quote?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
What is Operator Connect in Microsoft Teams?
Operator Connect is a way to connect Teams Phone to the public phone network through a Microsoft-certified operator. You enable the operator in the Teams admin centre and assign its numbers, and the operator provides calling, porting, PSTN support and the SLA.
Do I need a Teams Phone licence for Operator Connect?
Yes. Microsoft requires users to have Teams Phone licences and to be in Teams Only mode. You do not need a Microsoft Calling Plan, because the operator provides the calling under its own contract.
Is Operator Connect better than Direct Routing?
It depends on what you need. Operator Connect avoids running a Session Border Controller and keeps management in the Teams admin centre. Direct Routing is more flexible: it can connect any carrier, an on-site PBX and analogue devices.
Can I keep my existing numbers with Operator Connect?
Usually, yes. Operators that support porting can move your existing numbers into their service, and the numbers then appear in your Teams admin centre. Check porting support with the operator before you sign.
Where can I find a list of Operator Connect providers?
Microsoft publishes an Operator Connect directory that lists participating operators and the countries they serve. It is the most reliable source because the list changes as operators join or expand.