BYOC (Bring Your Own Carrier)
BYOC is a deployment model where you use a third-party SaaS platform (Vapi, Retell, Microsoft Teams, Zoom Phone, Twilio Flex) for the call-control / AI-agent / contact-center logic, but route the actual telecom (DIDs and PSTN minutes) through your own preferred carrier — not the platform's bundled telecom.
Why BYOC
- Cost: bundled telecom is typically marked up 3-10× over wholesale. Vapi US PSTN runs ~$0.04/min; wholesale OBR runs ~$0.0085/min.
- Coverage: bundled telecom may not offer the country / city you need. BYOC lets you bring DIDs from anywhere.
- Control: direct relationship with the carrier means STIR/SHAKEN attestation, CNAM, fraud monitoring, custom routing.
- Compliance: some regulated industries cannot use a SaaS-bundled PSTN (data residency, lawful intercept).
Common BYOC platforms
| Platform | BYOC name | DIDHub tutorial |
|---|---|---|
| Vapi | byo-sip-trunk | Vapi BYOC |
| Retell AI | BYOC trunk | Retell BYOC |
| Microsoft Teams | Direct Routing | Teams Direct Routing |
| Zoom Phone | BYOC Premium | Zoom Phone BYOC |
| ElevenLabs | via SIP bridge | ElevenLabs BYOC |
Related terms
Related glossary terms
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Call Forwarding (PSTN bridge)
Call forwarding is a routing mode where an inbound call to a DID is bridged out to a different phone number over the PSTN, instead of (or in
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