e164.org proudly announces PSTN support

e164.org is a public name service which provides ENUM.164, a method devised by the IETF and ITU to allow an ordinary telephone to be connected to an Internet type network and provided dialling service from other, regular telephones.

Unlike many other “free” voice over IP systems, e164.org allows users who have a regular telephone line, to also hook themselves up to the Internet without intervention from their regular telephone service provider while still using their “plain old telephone” number instead of a web, IP or some other address.

The system works like this:

* You dial a telephone number. Example: 1-604-555-1212.
* Your VoIP system looks up the number in e164.org. if a match can be found, your call is tried over the Internet, directly to the other subscriber’s system.
* If a match is not found, or if the call fails, your system can then attempt to dial the number using your regular telephone line.

The example above is just a simple scenario, how your system behaves is dependent on how an Asterisk dial plan (for example) is configured.

To help prevent abuse, all PSTN numbers must be validated first. Simply create an account at e164.org, and select “add your PSTN number”. The number you add will be phoned and a Personal ID number will be read out to you. Return to the website, enter your PIN, and viola! Your phone number will be instantly added into the system.

In addition, those without a elephone line can still receive a “free” number from e164.org making it possible for people without phone service to interact with others.