How to Manage Caller ID and Optimize Bandwidth in Microsoft Teams

Managing Caller ID and Live Event Bandwidth in Microsoft Teams

When managing Microsoft Teams Phone and live events, two common challenges often come up:

1. Ensuring that outbound calls display the right caller ID.
2. Optimizing bandwidth for large Teams live events.

Both of these are core topics for Microsoft 365 administrators preparing for exams like MS-700 (Managing Microsoft Teams) or real-world Teams deployments. Let’s break them down.

Scenario 1: Outbound Caller ID for Call Queues

Problem:
A group of billing department users makes outbound calls on behalf of the company. Instead of showing their personal numbers, calls must display a phone number tied to a call queue.

Solution:
Create a caller ID policy in Microsoft Teams and configure it to replace the user’s number with a service number.

• Caller ID policies allow you to control how numbers appear externally.
• You can show the user’s direct number, block it (anonymous), or replace it with a service number assigned to a call queue or auto attendant.
• This ensures the billing department presents a consistent, professional identity to customers.

Steps at a glance:

1. Go to the Teams admin center.
2. Navigate to Voice > Caller ID policies.
3. Create a new policy.
4. Set Replace caller ID to Service number.
5. Assign the policy to the billing department users.

Why not the other options?

• Make private calls (anonymous): Only hides the caller ID.
• Inbound call group settings: Not related to outbound caller ID.
• Anonymous replacement: Doesn’t show the queue’s service number.

Reference docs:

• Caller ID policies in Teams
• Set the caller ID for a user

Scenario 2: Minimizing Bandwidth in Teams Live Events

Problem:
The company wants to host Teams live events with over 5,000 attendees. Large events can create significant bandwidth demands if every user streams directly from the cloud.

Solution:
Use an eCDN (Enterprise Content Delivery Network) provider.

• eCDNs reduce bandwidth usage by redistributing the stream inside your organization.
• Instead of 5,000+ direct cloud connections, the video is shared across peers or cached locally.
• This results in lower internet load, smoother streaming, and a better attendee experience.

Steps at a glance:

1. Choose an eCDN provider supported by Microsoft (e.g., Hive, Kollective, or Microsoft’s own eCDN solution).
2. Deploy the eCDN in your environment.
3. Configure Teams live events to use the eCDN for internal attendees.

Why not the other options?

• Session Border Controller (SBC): Used for PSTN connectivity, not video streaming.
• Third-party encoder: Helps with live production, but not bandwidth savings.
• Cloud Video Interop (CVI): Brings third-party meeting room devices into Teams, not for bandwidth optimization.

Reference docs:

• Plan for Teams live events

Key Takeaways

• Caller ID masking: If you need outbound calls to show a call queue number instead of personal DIDs, configure a caller ID policy and replace with a service number.
• Large live events: To avoid bandwidth bottlenecks, integrate an eCDN so the stream is shared efficiently inside the organization.

These are both must-know scenarios for Microsoft Teams admins — whether you’re prepping for MS-700, working on a migration, or tightening up Teams governance in your company.