Frequently Asked Questions
If you are unable to find a satisfactory answer to your question in this FAQ, please look in our DIDWW knowledgebase or contact customer support (support at didww dot com).
For support options, see http://www.didww.com/support/.
What is a DID (Direct Inward Dialing) Number?
In historical terms, a DID is a feature offered by telephone companies in order to serve the needs of their customers via PBX (Private Branch Exchange) systems. In practical terms, a DID number (also called a DDI in Europe and sometimes referred to as a virtual number) is a local telephone number in a selected country or city. These numbers are then forwarded by DID World Wide to PSTN (Plain Old Telephone System – a regular telephone), Voice over IP (VoIP), SIP, H.323, IAX, Skype, MSN or Google Talk anywhere in the world.
Typically a DID is used to provide local telephone numbers for customers on a worldwide basis, or to provide access from regular telephones to non-PSTN destinations such as VoIP.
Why Would I Use a DID Number?
The advent of Direct Inward Dialing (DID) services provides people with access to local telephone numbers in most countries on a worldwide basis. These numbers are then forwarded by companies such as DID World Wide to PSTN (Plain Old Telephone System), VoIP or VoIM devices anywhere in the world. Essentially, this means that:
1. International and long distance telephone calls are made with the caller only paying local call rates. For example, your family lives in Moscow, Russia but you live in Toronto, Canada. You would like your family to be able to phone you, but the long distance rates from Russia are very costly. If you purchase a Moscow DID, anyone dialing that local number in Moscow would connect to your phone in Toronto, but they would pay only local phone number rates.
2. You are able to add telephone numbers to your phone line so that you are no longer restricted to one telephone number per line. For example, you live in Toronto, Canada but you have family in Moscow, London and Beijing. You if you purchase DID numbers in Moscow, London and Beijing, then anyone dialing those local numbers would connect to your phone in Toronto.
3. Conventional telephone calls may be terminated at non-PSTN devices if desired, such as VoIP and Skype. This has particular relevance for VoIP communications, as it allows people connected to the traditional PSTN network to call people connected to VoIP networks.
Over and above these basic functions of DIDs, there are many additional uses for local numbers. For example, consider the issue of privacy. If users place classified advertisements in a newspaper and they wish prospective buyers to contact them without publishing their own, private telephone number, a temporary local number could be provided by the newspaper.
Why is a DID Sometimes Referred to as a Virtual Number or Virtual Private Number?
The term virtual number is used because a DID may be thought of as an “alias” for your primary phone number or VoIP destination. A virtual telephone number lets you choose a telephone number from other local calling areas outside of the geographical location where you answer your telephone. You can have as many “aliases” as you wish in cities all over the world. All calls to these virtual numbers will ring your main telephone line or VoIP device as if the subscriber dialed your primary number. For example, you live in Toronto, Canada and you purchase DIDs in Paris, London, New York and Shanghai. You then configure those virtual numbers so that all calls made to those virtual numbers are forwarded to your telephone in Toronto. Essentially, virtual numbers allow you to add telephone numbers to your phone line so that you are no longer restricted to one telephone number per line.
Can a DID be Used for Calling from a Standard Telephone to another Telephone?
Yes. This is a standard use of DIDs and is also referred to as PSTN (regular phone) forwarding. This function allows you to receive calls made to your DID numbers on regular land line or mobile phones. No Internet, PC or VoIP services are required and no minutes are charged. You can map all or any of your DIDs to the same PSTN number. In addition, you can change the destination telephone number by logging into your DID World Wide account and modifying the mapping. A list of countries that are supported for PTSN forwarding may be found here. Note that some locations only support land lines, while other support both land lines and mobile phones. For more information about PSTN mapping see How to Add New Mapping?
Remember, the number must be entered in the format: country-code+city-code+number.
What is PSTN (Regular Phone) Forwarding?
This function allows you to receive calls to your DID numbers on regular land line or mobile phones. No internet, PC or VoIP services are required and no minutes are charged. You can map all or any of your DID numbers to the same PSTN number (for more information about PSTN mapping see How to Add New Mapping?). You can always login to your account and change the mapping.
Remember, the number must be entered in country-code+city-code+number format.
The courtiers that DIDWW supports in PSTN DID numbers are listed in the Mapping page under PSTN.
Who May Use the Service?
The services provided by DID World Wide are suitable for both residential and business use, but may not be utilized for auto-dialing, continuous or extensive call forwarding, telemarketing, fax or voicemail broadcasting or voicemail blasting purposes.
How Do I Select and Buy a DID?
You can buy a DID online on the DID World Wide website. We have a Buy DID online section (Retail customers click here) or (Carriers click here) where you are able to purchase numbers and configure your call forwarding requirements.
Can I Pick any Number that I Want?
All numbers are automatically assigned to the customer's account by our system. Therefore, it is not possible for customers to choose their local numbers.
How Do I Pay for the DID?
The payment is done via credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club International). Pre-payments for services are also accepted.
How Much Does a DID Cost?
DID World Wide provides numbers at fixed monthly rates, with no per-minute charges. This monthly rate is dependant on the country in which the local telephone number is purchased and generally varies between $5.00 and $20.00 for retail customers. In addition, if you are forwarding the DID to a regular telephone number (not to VoIP, VoIM, etc), then there is an additional flat monthly charge of $14.99 per month.
Do I Pay Per-Minute Charges?
Each DID is billed on a fixed monthly fee basis, with no per-minute charges. This is a flat-rate service, which means that you can talk as much as you want for a low, monthly charge. You can make an unlimited number of calls, with no limit on the length of each call.
Is There a Maximum Call Duration per DID?
There is no maximum limit on call duration for the DIDs. If you are having calls cut off, please see I’m having Calls Cut Off, What Can be the Problem?
Do I Have to Renew my DIDs Every Month?
You may purchase services for a period of 1, 3, 6, 12 or 24 months. In addition, there is an “auto-renew” option that facilitates the automatically renewal of the selected service. You will be sent an email prior to the expiry of a DID subscription period or when automatic renewals have been performed.
How Can I Change the Payment Method?
You can change the renewal payment method in the following way:
1. Changing from credit card payment to pre-paid: Manually renew the DIDs / Channels or PSTN packages using pre-paid method.
2. Changing from pre-paid payment to credit card: Manually renew the DIDs / Channels or PSTN packages using credit card method. The next auto renewal will use the last payment type.
Is there a Registration or Membership Fee for Using the DID World Wide Services?
There is no registration/membership fee for registering on the DID World Wide website. Payment is only due if you purchase DID numbers or other services.
How do I Change my Credit Card Information?
To change your credit card information simply login to your DIDWW account, select the Credit Card menu. Delete the existing card and then add new cards. DIDWW does not allow you to modify a saved credit card for security reasons.
What Currencies Can I Purchase DIDWW's Services in?
DIDWW only accepts US Dollars at this time for all transactions. All international credit cards should allow you to purchase services in US Dollars and have it converted to your local currency on your monthly statement (NOTE: Your card issuer usually charges fees).
How Long Does it Take for a DID to be Activated?
When you purchase a DID via our online 24/7 web services, activation is instantaneous.
Nevertheless in some cases of unverified details the number will be activated only after verification of DIDWW sales team. In such case the DIDWW sales team will contact you in 24 hours.
Porting of DID numbers away from DID World Wide (porting out) is supported. Please note that this facility is not available in all countries. Porting of DID numbers to DID World Wide (porting in) is currently not supported.
When Do I Pay the Setup Fee?
The setup fee paid only once when you purchase the DID number.
In which Countries and Cities Does DID World Wide have Local Telephone Numbers?
DID World Wide offers an extensive selection of international virtual numbers, covering over 60 different countries and hundreds of cities. Details of our current coverage may be found at DID Numbers Coverage page. Note that we are constantly expanding our services so as to increase the number of regions supported, as well as to increase our coverage in each region. Please visit our website regularly to check for coverage updates. In addition, if you need a local number in a region that is not currently covered by DID World Wide, please visit our Request DID section of the website so that we are able to contact you in the event that our coverage is expanded so as to include your specific requirements.
To what Devices Can I Forward Calls?
Calls may be forwarded by our infrastructure to conventional PSTN (Plain Old Telephone System or “regular telephone”) devices, Voice over IP (VoIP), SIP, H.323, IAX, Skype, MSN or Google Talk anywhere in the world. The call forwarding destination is selected by the customer on a per-DID basis via our easy-to-use web interface.
How Do I Configure a DID to Forward Calls to a Selected Remote Device?
Configuration is done via a simple, user-friendly menu on our website, where the customer is provided with a selection of forwarding options to choose from.
Can I Forward Calls from a DID to PSTN (a Regular Telephone Number) in any Country in the World?
You may only forward calls to a regular PSTN (land lines) in countries listed on our website on this list.
Can I Forward Calls from a DID Number to Mobile Phone?
There are certain countries in which you may forward calls to both regular PSTN (land-lines) and mobile phones. These countries are listed on our website on this list
Can I Change the Forwarding Destination for a DID?
The forwarding destination for a DID may be changed by you at any time via our web services. There are no additional charges involved in making this change. However, if a number previously forwarded to a non-PSTN device (such as VoIP, VoIM, etc) is now forwarded to PSTN (a regular telephone number), then an additional flat monthly charge of $14.99 per month is applicable.
Can I Use 3rd Party SIP Services such as Callcentric.com, Sipgate.com or Phonegnome.com?
DID World Wide allows DIDs to be mapped to a number of 3rd party VoIP providers. The selection of the VoIP provider is performed by using our on-line configuration interface. For more information see How can I Use 3-rd Party SIP Services Such as Callcentric.com, Sipgate.com or Phonegnome.com?
Can I Order Services Online?
Yes. Once you have signed up and logged into the account management portal you will be able to manage all aspects of your account including ordering additional services.
Can I Make Outgoing Calls From DID World Wide Virtual Number?
No, DID World Wide provides numbers for inbound calls only.
Can I Send SMS from a DID World Wide virtual Mobile Number?
No, DID World Wide provides numbers for inbound calls only.
Does DID World Wide Support Callback?
DID World Wide does not provide call back services (i.e. when you call the number, let it ring and hang up, the system calls you back and you get dial-tone).
Can I Use DID World Wide Numbers for Receiving Faxes?
Unfortunately, the DID numbers do not support fax usage.
How Do I Get Support?
DID World Wide provides free customer care, 24 hours per day via our interactive live online chat Web system or by phone. For support options, please see http://www.didww.com/support/index.php.
What is a Channel?
Channels define the number of simultaneous inbound calls that you can receive on a DID. Therefore if your DID includes two channels, then you are able to receive two inbound calls at the same time. At DID World Wide, we allow you to add shared or non-shared channels to DIDs.
How Many Channels are Included when I Buy a DID?
All DIDs are provided with two non-shared channels at no extra cost, allowing two concurrent incoming calls on the same number. This is applicable to non-PSTN forwarding destinations only. If you wish to buy additional channels please see How Can I Add More Channels to my DID Number?.
Why would I Need Multiple Channels per DID?
If you are forwarding calls to a non-PSTN device such as VoIP, it is possible to have multiple concurrent incoming calls on the same number. Depending on your application, it may be desirable for you to have a single DID, but allow many calls to be placed to that number at any one time. For example, you may require that a certain DID number should be able to handle 10 simultaneous incoming calls. In this case, you would need 10 dedicated (non-shared) channels for this number. At DID World Wide, we allow you to add shared or non-shared channels to DIDs.
Can I Buy Additional Channels for my DIDs?
All DIDs are provided with two non-shared channels. Additional channels may be purchased as required, depending on the country in which the local telephone number has been procured. To view the list of countries which support additional channels, login to your account and go to the Channels page. At DID World Wide, we allow you to add shared or non-shared channels to DIDs.
What is the Difference between Shared and Non-shared Channels?
Non-shared channels are dedicated to a specific DID, and allow additional simultaneous calls on that particular number. Note that by default, all DIDs are provided with two non-shared channels at no extra cost, but you may wish to increase the concurrent call capacity of selected numbers. Shared channels span a selected group of DIDs, and allow additional call capacity on those numbers. Shared channels are dynamically allocated to DIDs within a specified group on a first-come, first-served basis as incoming calls are received. Shared-channels groups may comprise of DIDs located anywhere in the world, for example, DIDs from Canada, Spain and Australia may be included in the same shared-channel group. It should be noted that, by default, all DIDs are provided with two non-shared channels, over and above any shared channels purchased. This ensures that even if all shared channels allocated to a group are occupied, your DIDs have the capacity to receive (at least) two concurrent incoming calls.
What is the Cost of Additional Channels?
There is monthly fee of $19.99 per non-shared channel, and $29.99 for shared channels. No setup fees apply. For special requests regarding additional channel densities, please open a ticket for a quotation at sales.
What Additional Features are Supported?
Additional features supported by DID World Wide are:
Caller ID – the caller’s number is transmitted to the called party’s telephone equipment during call setup (where supported).
Call waiting- in the case where the line is engaged, the called party is able to suspend the current call and switch to the new incoming call.
Ring group – When DIDs are mapped to a ring group, all destinations configured under this group will ring simultaneously. Once the destination is answered and the call connected, all other destinations will stop ringing. This feature is useful for redundancy or backup.
Hunt group - When DIDs are mapped to a hunt group, all destinations configured under this group will ring in order, one after the other according to user-configured timeouts. Once a destination is answered, the call is connected and call hunting is stopped. This feature is useful if you wish to be reached in various locations. For example: the call will first ring at your home, after 15 seconds it will ring at your work and after 15 seconds on your cell-phone.
Trunking – Allows the sharing of channels for optimum use of DIDs, load balancing and reliability.
Do I have Access to my Call Records?
Call records are stored and are made available to you on a secure basis. Statistics such as source and destination numbers, date and time of each call as well as the duration of the calls are available. You are able to filter call information according to pre-defined criteria, and you may also able to export this information to an Excel spreadsheet. For information how you can view your call records see How Can I View the Calls I Made?
Are the DID World Wide Services Compatible with Asterisk?
DIDWW supports the VoIP protocols used by Asterisk, including IAX. Our technical knowledgebase includes documentation on how to configure Asterisk@Home and Trixbox for DID usage (How to Set Asterisk@Home/TrixBox with DIDWW DID Numbers?), as well as general configuration information on how to map DIDs to SIP extensions (sip.conf) (How to Set Asterisk@Home/TrixBox with DIDWW DID Numbers?) and how to set up an IAX configuration file (IAX.conf) (How to Configure IAX with DIDWW IP Addresses?).
Does DID World Wide Support IAX?
Yes, DID World Wide supports forwarding to IAX.
Which Kind of Mapping Options Supported by DIDWW?
You can use the following mapping options to forward your calls: PSTN (land line or cellular), URI, VoIP, Custom, MSN, GTALK or SKYPE. For information on how to create the mapping see How to Add New Mapping?
How Can I Become a Reseller of Local Numbers and Services Provided by DID World Wide?
In order to become a reseller and get 10% starting discount, you should have 10 DID numbers on your account. When this is done, please open sales ticket and your status will be changed to reseller's. The 10% discount will be applied for your future orders to renew the DID numbers and to purchase new DID numbers.
Does DID World Wide has an API that I Can Integrate into my Website or Application?
DID World Wide has an easy-to-use DID API (Application Programming Interface) that is available to our Resellers at no charge. This API may be integrated into your website or application so as to facilitate the purchasing, configuration and maintenance of DIDs by your own customers. In order to use the API, please go to http://sandbox.didww.com for technical information and code examples.
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