Service phone numbers for Calling Plans
In addition to getting phone numbers for your users, you can get toll or toll-free phone numbers for services such as Audio Conferencing (for conference bridges), Auto Attendants, and Call Queues (also called service numbers). Service phone numbers have a higher concurrent calling capacity than user or subscriber phone numbers. For example, a service number can handle hundreds of calls simultaneously, whereas a user's phone number can only handle a few calls simultaneously.
Note
You have to first set up Communications Credits before you can get toll-free numbers. To learn more, see Set up Communications Credits for your organization.
There are three ways to get service numbers:
Use the Microsoft Teams admin center. For some countries and regions, you can get service numbers using the Microsoft Teams admin center. See Get new service numbers.
Port your existing numbers. You can port or transfer existing numbers from your current service provider or phone carrier. You'll need to download and fill out a Letter of Authorization (LOA) and send it back to us. This form can also be used to request new numbers. For more information, see Transfer phone numbers to Teams or Manage phone numbers for your organization.
Use a request form for new numbers. Sometimes you won't be able to get your new phone numbers using the Microsoft Teams admin center, or you'll need specific phone numbers or area codes. If so, you'll need to download a LOA form and send it back to us. You can also use this form to port or transfer existing numbers from your current service provider or phone carrier. For more information, see Manage phone numbers for your organization.
Note
Service numbers are needed so you can get a higher concurrent call capacity for a specific number. When you're transferring the number over to us, you can contact the TNS service desk to make sure the service number you're transferring has a high concurrent call capacity.
Get new service numbers
To get new service numbers, in the Teams admin center:
In the left navigation, go to Voice > Phone numbers, and then select Add.
Enter a name for the order and add a description.
On the Location and quantity page, complete the following steps:
- Under Country or region, select a country or region.
- Under Number type, select the type of service number you want.
- Under Location, select a location. If you need to create a new location, select Add a location.
- Under Area code, select an area code.
- Under Quantity, enter the number of numbers you want for your organization, and then select Next to select your numbers.
Select the numbers you want. You have 10 minutes to select your phone numbers and place your order. If you take more than 10 minutes, the phone numbers will be returned to the pool of numbers.
When you're ready to place your order, select Place order.
Port or transfer existing service numbers
To transfer your phone numbers from your current service provider or carrier to Teams, you can use the porting wizard in the Microsoft Teams admin center. Follow the steps in Transfer phone numbers to Teams.
If you experience issues with the porting wizard, you can manually submit a port order or go to Manage phone numbers for your organization, select your country or region, and then download a Letter of Authorization (LOA). You'll have to submit separate port orders for each type of service number (for example, toll vs. toll-free) you'll be transferring by using an LOA. In the LOA, you must select the correct type of service number. Make sure you specify you're transferring a service number (and not a user or subscriber number), or the concurrent calling capacity may not be enough to handle call volumes.
Note
For more information about LOAs to port/transfer existing phone numbers and additional documentation requirements, see Manage phone numbers for Calling Plan.
To port/transfer 999 or fewer phone numbers for your users, upload the completed and signed LOAs in the Microsoft Teams admin center for further processing. You can also purchase extra phone numbers in the Microsoft Teams admin center.
To port/transfer more than 999 phone numbers or if you experience issues with the porting process in the Microsoft Teams admin center, you can manually submit a port order to the TNS Service Desk for your region.
View the phone numbers for your organization
In the Teams admin center, in the left navigation, go to Voice > Phone numbers to view the numbers for your organization, including location, number type, and status information.
Assign service phone numbers
After you get your service numbers, assign each number to an Audio Conferencing bridge. See Change the phone numbers on your Audio Conferencing bridge.
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