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, mobile phone or VoIP device as if the subscriber had dialed your primary number. For example, you live in Toronto, Canada and you purchase DIDs in Paris, London, New York and Hong Kong. You then configure those DIDs so that all calls made to those 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 number per line.