To complete the tasks in this article, you’ll need to be an administrator. Learn more about Teams administrator permissions.
To set up Operator Connect, you’ll need:
- A Teams Phone licence for each user. If you have Microsoft 365 E5, Teams Phone is already included. If you’re on any other plan, you’ll need to purchase a Teams Phone add‑on licence. You can do this by visiting the Microsoft 365 Admin Centre, selecting Billing, then Purchase services, and finding the ‘Teams Phone’ licence.
- ‘Teams Only’ mode enabled. Operator Connect requires users to be in ‘Teams Only’ mode. It will not function in any Skype for Business coexistence mode.
- Administrator permissions. You must have the appropriate admin roles (typically Teams Administrator or Global Administrator) to configure Operator Connect.
Checking individual licences in the Microsoft 365 Admin Centre
You can check if a specific user has a Teams Phone license in the Microsoft 365 Admin Centre. To do this, follow these steps:
- Log into the Microsoft 365 Admin Centre.
- Select Users, then Active users.
- Choose the user.
- Select Licences and apps.
- Look for one of the following:
- Microsoft 365 E5 (includes Teams Phone automatically).
- Teams Phone Standard (add-on licence).
Note: Calling Plan licences are not required for Operator Connect.
Buying an ‘add-on’ Teams Phone licence
If a user doesn’t have a Teams Phone license and you need to purchase one (or multiple), please follow these steps:
- Log into Microsoft 365 admin centre.
- Select Billing, then Purchase services.
- Search for Teams Phone Standard.
- Choose the number of licences you require.
- Complete the purchase.
The licences will then appear under Billing, under Your products.
For more information on buying ‘add-on’ Teams Phone licences, see Microsoft’s guidance on Buying add-on licences.
Assigning Teams Phone licences
Once you have Teams Phone licences, the next step is to assign them to users.
Assigning licences to a single user or small group
To assign licences to a single user or small group, follow the latest Microsoft guidance on Assigning and unassigning licences for one user.
Assigning licences to a larger group
For larger groups of users, you'll need to follow the latest Microsoft guidance on Assigning licences to multiple users.
Assigning licences in bulk
For bulk assignment, you can use PowerShell or Entra ID:
For more detailed guidance on setting up phone licences in Microsoft Teams, see Assign or unassign licences for users.
Resource Account licences
To use Auto Attendant and Call Queue features, you will need to have a Teams Phone Resource Account licence assigned to your resource account.
To do this, follow the steps listed in the Microsoft Teams Phone Resource Account licences guide.