Ask Mr. Andrews: What is a DID?
Q: Dear Mr. Andrews, What is a DID?
A: The term “DID” stands for “Direct Inward Dial”, and describes a feature offered by traditional telephone operators. For example, my direct number at work “716-250-3402” is a DID number, which we essentially “rent’ from our provider. Telephony companies allocate a range of DID numbers within each local exchange and area code, and dole them out to their customers in much the same manner as one might be assigned an email address or a website domain. (i.e DID numbers are “unique”)
The technology behind “DID” was originally developed in the 1960’s by AT&T, with the intent of allowing companies to have fewer lines than extensions, while still maintaining a unique number for each internal extension, which can be called from outside the company. So DID (”direct inward dialing”) was invented as a way to re-use a limited number of physical phone lines to handle calls to different published numbers. In a business with DID, the phone company uses DID signaling to identify the number they are about to connect to the business’s PBX. Historically, this was done by pulsing the last 3 or 4 digits of the number being dialed before connecting the number. The PBX would use these DID digits to switch the call to the right recipient.
DID numbers are typically associated with business use through a corporate PBX (Private Branch Exchange), but also have applications within the residential market. Each extension within a PBX system may be assigned a DID number. An external caller may bypass the operator or IVR/Auto-attendant of the PBX by dialing the DID number or the extension they wish to reach. In my case, my internal extension is 3402, and my DID number is 716-250-3402. People who call me can dial our main 800 Toll Free # and then enter my extension, or alternatively can dial my DID number directly.
DID numbers have particular importance for VoIP communications. In order for peple connected to the traditional PSTN to call people connected to VoIP networks, DID numbers from the PSTN network are obtained by the administrators of the VoIP network, and assigned to a gateway in the VoIP network. The gateway will then route calls incoming from the PSTN across the IP network to the appropriate VoIP user. Similarly, calls originating in the VoIP network will appear to users on the PSTN as originating from one of the assigned DID numbers.
Let’s say you buy a phone line from Vonage or some other phone service provider who offers phone service over broadband. The number that they provide to you, in technical terms is a DID number. This is the number that they have assigned to you to connect you to the old PSTN Networks around the world. Any service provider who wants to offer a phone service over IP address, needs to buy DID numbers from his CLEC or any other large service provider like Level 3 in the United States or go to a consortium (company that will take large blocks from many providers and hand them out one at a time)
If you are using an IP PBX like Asterisk, and you want to connect yourself to PSTN so people can call your office, you can either:
- buy an Analog or E1/T1 card from Digium, Sangoma or Rhino.
- buy DID number from a DID service provider.
DID Service Providers, convert the analog to digital and provide these DID numbers over the internet, with SIP or IAX2. Service providers like DIDX and Voicepulse do this. You buy the number, and send it straight to your sip address, and you are good to go. The call will then come to your IPPBX as a real phone line. Then you can use as your phone number, and route it to your IVR or direct extension.
4 Comments
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I would like to do origination from Puerto Rico and would like to access an inventory of DID’s.. I have been to http://www.didx.com and can get some there however they are expensive and they only have a limited number available..
Thanks!!
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What’s a CLEC? Is is the Carrier? About buying DIDs. Who are some known corsortiums that sells DIDs? Are there any that sells DIDs in different countries? So I can buy DIDs in the US and Mexico for example and put them in my Asterisk…
Thanks! Great Article!
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Jorge - CLEC stands for “Competitive Local Exchange Carrier”. A CLEC is a company which provides local telephone service, an alternativeto the the incumbent Local Exchange Carrier (LEC).
In the same manner as a LEC, a CLEC provides service within a LATA. A LATA (Local Access and Transport Area) is a geographical and administrative area that is the responsibility of an LEC (Local Exchange Carrier).
To handle InterLATA long-distance calls, the CLEC will connect to an IXC (IntereXchange Carrier).
Most CLEC’s will use the local loop (UNE-L) belonging to the incumbent Local Exchange Carrier.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 forced the incumbent LEC’s to lease access to their local loop (UNE-L) to CLEC’s at wholesale prices. Between 1996 and 2004, the FCC also required LEC’s to lease other network elements (UNE-P) to the CLEC’s.
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Tim and Jorge - As Tim mentioned, DIDx.com is one of the more prominent providers of DID numbers. While not least expensive provider out there, they do provide excellent service, and are a reputable company to be working with. If you are only looking for a handful of DID numbers, sometimes its worth paying a bit more and going with a well established provider.
Some other companies that provide DID numbers include Voxbone, Mydivert.com, NXVoice.com, DIDSite.com and many others.
You might also consider going to http://lists.digium.com and subscribing to the Asterisk-Biz listserv. Once you have subscribed, send a message to the listserv community stating that you are looking to obtain international DID numbers and you will likely be contacted by quite a few providers.