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PhNUM FAQ

What is PhNUM?

PhNUM is a revolutionary new technology that enables telephone numbers to be mapped on to the internet enabling them to be redirected to anywhere in the world.

What is Redirection?

By redirecting your PhNUM, you are setting the end destination of your phone call. Put simply, redirection is call forwarding. When someone dials your PhNUM the call will automatically be transferred to the landline / mobile / VoIP number that you have specified. All calls are routed via our global VOIP network, so you benefit from minimal call costs.

What will happen if multiple redirections are set up?

Our advanced technology supports multiple redirections. In this instance, when the first number is busy or doesn’t answer, the call will be forwarded to the next specified number automatically. You are able to change the redirection priority at any time by accessing your Control Panel.

What kinds of redirections / call forwarding is supported?

The redirection can be a telephone number (landline), mobile / cell phone or SIP address (VoIP number). Redirecting your PhNUM to special services such as premium rate numbers and satellite phones is currently not supported. Free call numbers will be available shortly.

Can I make outbound International calls with PhNUM?

Yes, if you purchase a local PhNUM , you can redirect that PhNUM to the international number you need to call. Then you simply call your local number at local call rates and you have made an International call.

By way of example, you are in London and purchase a local London PhNUM (+44). You have a valued customer in the U.S. Simply redirect your local number to the U.S. number. You will incur the cost of a local call to call you PhNUM and then USD $0.021 per minute for the call to the U.S.

Does the cost of a call vary?

Depending on where you redirect your call, the cost of the call will vary. Call costs to mobile / cell phones are more expensive than calls to traditional landlines, which are more expensive than VoIP calls. The country destination will also have an impact on the call costs, depending on local infrastructure. Having said that, call costs are inexpensive relative to traditional international calls and in most instances are cents per minute. For a more detailed list of call costs, visit

http://www.instra.com/en/phone-numbers/call-rates

How do I manage my contacts?

You can add multiple contacts to your account depending on your internal delegation / authority. We provide 4 kinds of contacts:

Registrant Contact
Admin Contact
Billing Contact
Technical Contact.

What is the difference between Reload and Renew?

RENEW

Your PhNUM is provided for a set period, namely 1 year. At the end of this period you have the option to renew your PhNUM which will extend the length of time you own this phone number for. All Phone Numbers are for a set period of time. At the end of this time if you find you are not getting the call traffic, you can allow your number to lapse (not renew).

RELOAD

Your PhNUM comes with a specified number of call credits. After these call credits expire, you will need to reload your account which will increase the amount of call credit that you have available.

How do I query my Call Detail Records (CDR)?

After you login to your account, you can view all reports by using the “Call Detail Record” link, which is located on the right side menu in the Control Panel. The flexibility of our CDR enables you to specify a date range for more accurate reporting. Please note that all times displayed are ‘GMT+0:00’. A PDF call report is automatically emailed each month.

Can I delegate my PhNUM to my name servers?

Yes, you can delegate your PhNUM (which is an ENUM domain) to your own name servers for greater control.

What is Advanced Call Routing?

You may have Customers that you have identified for special treatment. You can set your PhNUM to redirect to a specific number depending on who is calling. The benefit of our system is that it identifies the incoming call and you can offer preferred treatment to your higher value customers.

What is time of day routing?

Your normal business hours may be 9 am to 5 pm. After these hours you may want to redirect your calls to another part of the world, your mobile or voice mail. Set your PhNUM to change redirection depending the time of day, based on your business needs.

What is Fax to Email?

The benefit of PhNUM’s convergent technology lies in its ability to convert different technology. In this instance, an incoming Fax is converted to a PDF document and emailed to a dedicated address as directed by you. Move to a paperless office by embracing this ground breaking technology.

What is Voice Notifications?

You may be travelling and due to differences in time zones, not want to receive calls in the middle of the night. You can have your incoming calls taken as a message and then converted to an email. Receive the email at an address identified by you and listen to your voice mail at leisure.

Do you support Video Calls?

PhNUM’s unique convergent technology does support video calls, depending on whether the carrier supports video calls. PhNUM converts different technology, this convergence is dependent on the incoming call rather than the technology. There are cases where incoming calls do not support video calls, although this is not due to PhNUM.