Wholesale voice

Call TerminationAlso known as Voice termination, VoIP termination

Definition

Call termination is the final leg of a phone call: delivering it into the network where the called number lives, so it rings the recipient. In the telecom market, “termination” also means the wholesale service of carrying calls to a destination, for which the terminating operator charges a regulated or negotiated termination rate.

How lawful call termination works

When a caller in one country dials a mobile number in another, the call may pass through several carriers. The last of them hands it to the destination operator over an interconnect link, and the destination operator charges a termination rate for completing the call on its network. For calls between countries this is often an international termination rate set by the operator or regulator.

Direct termination: a carrier has its own interconnect with the destination operator.
Transit: the call passes through one or more wholesale carriers first.
Quality: measured by ASR, ACD, PDD and correct caller-ID delivery.

Termination vs origination

Termination sends calls to a network; call origination brings calls from a network to a service, typically via DIDs. Most carriers sell both.

Illegal termination (bypass)

Some operators route international calls into a country through local SIM cards in SIM boxes so that they appear as local calls and avoid international termination rates. This is interconnect bypass fraud: it is illegal in most countries, breaches mobile operators’ terms, hides the caller’s real number and degrades call quality. Operators and regulators detect it with test-call programmes and CDR analytics, then block SIMs and pursue enforcement.

GSMCalls must not be used for bypass. For outbound traffic, use licensed carriers and SIP trunks; see the acceptable-use policy and wholesale VoIP and call termination explained.

Frequently asked questions

What is a termination rate?

The per-minute charge the destination network makes for completing a call on its network, paid by the carrier that delivers the call.

What does “Android termination” mean?

It usually refers to routing calls through SIM cards in phones to make them look local. Where that bypasses interconnect agreements it is illegal in most countries and breaches operator terms.

How do I buy legitimate termination?

From licensed carriers with interconnect agreements, usually via a SIP trunk with a published rate deck.