Considerations for Operator Connect
This article describes emergency calling considerations for Operator Connect users. Before reading this article, see emergency calling concepts and definitions in Plan and manage emergency calling.
To find out if Operator Connect is the right solution for your business, see PSTN connectivity options and Plan for Operator Connect.
Emergency call enablement for Operator Connect
Each Operator Connect user is automatically enabled for emergency calling. Emergency calls are routed automatically to the Operator Connect carrier for a given number.
The ability for a tenant admin to set the registered address for an Operator Connect user depends on the capabilities assigned to the number when the carrier uploads them into a customer's inventory. The tenant administrator may or may not be required—or able—to set, modify, or delete the emergency location of a user.
Dynamic emergency calling for Operator Connect
Dynamic emergency calling for Operator Connect provides the capability to configure and route emergency calls based on the current location of the Teams client. The ability to automatically route to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), or to notify security desk personnel, varies depending on the country/region of the Teams user.
Dynamic location for routing emergency calls is supported in the United States as follows.
If a Teams client for a United States user dynamically acquires an emergency address within the United States, that address is used for emergency routing instead of the registered address, and the call is automatically routed to the PSAP in the serving area of the address.
If a Teams client for a United States user doesn't dynamically acquire an emergency address within the United States, then the registered emergency address is used to help screen and route the call. Calls from Common Area Phones and Microsoft Teams Rooms route directly to the PSAP. Otherwise, the call is screened to determine if an updated address is required before connecting the caller to the appropriate PSAP.
Dynamic location for routing emergency calls is supported in Canada the same as in the United States with the following exceptions: all emergency calls are screened nationally before being transferred to the PSAP.
For more information, see Plan and configure dynamic emergency calling.
Emergency call routing for Operator Connect
When a Teams Operator Connect user dials an emergency number, how the call is routed to the PSAP depends on the following:
Whether the emergency address is dynamically determined by the Teams client
Whether the emergency address is the registered address associated with the user's phone number
The emergency calling network of that country/region
In the United States and Canada, dynamic routing is part of the carrier's service. You don't need to procure this service from another service provider.
If a Teams client is located at a tenant-defined dynamic emergency location:
- In the United States, emergency calls from that client are automatically routed to the PSAP serving that geographic location.
- In Canada, all emergency calls are screened by a national call center before transferring the call to the PSAP serving that geographic location.
If a Teams client isn't located at a tenant-defined dynamic emergency location and the client isn't a Common Area Phone or Microsoft Teams Room, emergency calls from that client are screened by a national call center to determine the location of the caller before transferring the call to the PSAP serving that geographic location.
If an emergency caller is unable to update their emergency location to the screening center, the call is transferred to the PSAP serving the caller's registered address.