How to become eligible for PSTN and SMS on a subscription

Question

We need to be able to access the Advanced Messaging Service to use the Whatsapp platform.
Our company is registered and operates in Barbados and we wish to acquire a telephone number in one of the eligible territories
Currently the option to purchase a telephone number is unavailable

Answer 1

Hi @Shayne Marshall,

It seems the issue you are experiencing is that because your current Azure subscription isn’t eligible for Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and SMS capabilities. That’s why the option to purchase a phone number for Advanced Messaging Service (like WhatsApp) isn’t available right now.

To use PSTN and SMS features in Azure Communication Services, you will require a paid Azure subscription. These services are not supported on trial subscriptions or Azure free credits subscriptions.

In your Communication Service resource, go to the Subscription eligibility button on the page you're looking at. It will prompt you on how to proceed in order to turn on PSTN and SMS services.

As you stated your company is based in Barbados, but you want for a number within an eligible region, you'll need to meet the regulatory compliance for that region.

Once you have that arranged, you'll be in a position to go back to the Phone numbers section and purchase a telephone number in one of the eligible territories.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/communication-services/concepts/numbers/sub-eligibility-number-capability
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/communication-services/concepts/telephony/plan-solution

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