Microsoft Teams offers seamless video chats, quick DMs, and phone calls within its suite, but setting up new phone numbers or expanding locations can be complicated. Operator Connect is a cloud-based service that connects Teams to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) via a Microsoft-certified telecom provider, providing full telephony features like voice calling, messaging, and emergency services. It's a pure-cloud model that can be partially managed through the Teams admin center interface for easier day-to-day operations. Operator Connect is compared to other PSTN connectivity options like Calling Plans and Direct Routing, with each offering different levels of complexity, control, and cost. Leveraging Operator Connect enhances the employee experience by allowing employees to make and receive calls within Teams without toggling between apps or devices, while IT teams can benefit from accelerated cloud adoption, simplified day-to-day operations, reduced CapEx costs, improved reliability, combined white-glove support, and more. To enable Operator Connect, users need a Teams Phone Standard license, set users to TeamsOnly mode, add an operator, and grant consent to connect the Teams tenant.