✅ Operator Connect

 ✅ Operator Connect

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📌 Explanation:

To meet the following requirements:

• Maintain an existing contract with a local PSTN carrier
• Retain all existing phone numbers
• Minimize on-premises hardware

You should recommend Operator Connect, which allows organizations to:

• Use their existing telecom provider (if they are a certified Operator Connect partner)
• Assign and manage phone numbers directly in the Microsoft Teams admin center
• Avoid deploying and managing on-premises SBCs (Session Border Controllers), unlike Direct Routing

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🧩 Comparison of Options:

Option	Use Existing Carrier	Retain Numbers	No On-Prem Hardware	Notes
Calling Plans	❌ No	❌ No	✅ Yes	Uses Microsoft as the carrier
Direct Routing	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	❌ No	Requires on-prem SBC
Microsoft Teams Rooms	❌ No	❌ No	❌ No	Not related to PSTN connectivity
Operator Connect	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	✅ Yes	Best fit for this scenario

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