Microsoft Teams Location-based routing policy and Revised OSP Guideline for Work from anywhere scenarios.

23 Jul Microsoft Teams Location-based routing policy and Revised OSP Guideline for Work from anywhere scenarios.

Microsoft Teams Location-based routing policy and Revised OSP Guideline for Work from anywhere scenarios.

Location-Based Routing (LBR) is a call management feature that allows IT administrators to control how calls are routed based on the geographic location of the participants. It is particularly important for multi-national organizations and for compliance with specific regulatory requirements in some regions Toll Bypass rule in India.

Other Service Providers (OSP) is a term used by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in India to refer to companies or organizations that provide IT-enabled services using telecom resources. This includes services such as telebanking, telemedicine, tele-education, tele-trading, e-commerce, call center, network operation centers, and other IT Enabled Services. OSPs in India were required to comply with specific guidelines issued by the DoT.

Toll bypass telecom rule in India

India had strict regulations regarding Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) usage and Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) interconnectivity. The law, often referred to as the “toll bypass rule,” prohibited the mixing of VoIP and PSTN calls, particularly when it involved national and international calls.

The main reason behind this was to prevent the loss of revenue for licensed telecom operators in the country, as calls routed over the internet could bypass the standard international calling rates, hence the term “toll bypass.”

However, there have been ongoing discussions to liberalize these regulations due to the changing landscape of digital communication, and the Department of Telecom has shared the OSP guidelines in November 2020 and July 2021.

A PSTN call refers to a traditional phone call made over the telecommunications network, while a VoIP call is made over the internet. VoIP technology allows for voice communications (and often video and other data) to be sent via the Internet rather than through traditional telephone lines. Mixing VoIP with PSTN typically refers to solutions that allow for seamless communication between internet-based telephony and traditional phone systems.

Given these regulations, businesses operating in India need to ensure compliance when setting up telephony solutions, such as Direct Routing in Microsoft Teams, which can potentially mix VoIP and PSTN calls. Therefore, always check the most current regulations or consult with a legal expert to ensure compliance.

How are Microsoft Teams Location-based routing rules compliant with Toll-bypass rule? How location-based routing works for Teams?

Location-Based Routing (LBR) is a call management feature of Microsoft Teams that enables you to control how Teams directs calls based on the geographic location of the participants. It was developed to comply with specific telecommunication regulations in some countries, such as India, where the mixing of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) calls is prohibited under certain circumstances, specifically to prevent toll bypass. Figure 1 shows two scenarios with the user/ phone in a known location with LBR enabled, which considered the office/identified location in the same/city place where the PSTN termination point is located, which is allowed, and another scenario where users/phone in a unknow location without LBR where local PSTN termination considered as denied.

Here’s how it works in general:

• Location Determination: Teams determine the location of users based on the network characteristics such as IP Subnet, and that location information is stored in the Teams backend. The location is tied to the user’s Teams client.
• Call Routing: When a call is placed, Teams checks the location of the caller and the recipient. If both are in the same country or region where toll bypass rules apply, the call is routed domestically using the local PSTN gateway. This ensures that the call remains compliant with local telecom regulations.
• Call Restriction: If a call from a Teams client cannot be routed compliantly (for instance, if it would result in a prohibited toll bypass scenario), the call will be blocked by Teams.

As per Indian telecommunication regulations, toll bypass is not allowed. This means if an organization has a Microsoft Teams user in India and another user outside India, then calls between these two users via the PSTN would violate the toll bypass rule.

With LBR enabled, Microsoft Teams can ensure compliance with this rule by blocking any PSTN calls that would violate toll bypass regulations while still allowing the two users to communicate via VoIP, assuming VoIP is not prohibited in that scenario.

Note that specific configuration settings may vary, and it’s crucial to stay updated with the most recent regulatory and technological changes. Microsoft provides technical documentation to guide you through the setup of Location-Based Routing in Teams, and it’s recommended that you consult with a telecommunications expert to ensure compliance with all relevant regulations.

Forward looking: Upcoming article will describe Revised OSP Guidelines.

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