18 E164 Number Processing

E.164 is an international standard (ITU-T Recommendation), titled The international public telecommunication numbering plan, that defines a numbering plan for the worldwide public switched telephone network (PSTN) and some other data networks.

E.164 defines a general format for international telephone numbers. Plan-conforming telephone numbers are limited to only digits and to a maximum of fifteen digits.[1] The specification divides the digit string into a country code of one to three digits, and the subscriber telephone number of a maximum of twelve digits.

In PortSIP PBX, E164 processing converts user-dialed numbers (including those with a leading +) into a standardized format that can be interpreted by your outbound rules and provider.

Using E164 processing is optional, but it can help solve the issue of handling numbers dialed with a leading +. It converts these numbers into a format that can be interpreted by the rules based on the call type (local, national, or international).

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E.164 Settings

The E.164 Settings control how PortSIP PBX normalizes and transforms dialed phone numbers—especially numbers entered in international (E.164) format—before outbound routing rules are applied.

Accessing E.164 Settings

1. Sign in to the PortSIP PBX Web Portal as a Tenant Admin.

2. Navigate to Blacklist and Codes > Codes and E164 > E164.

3. The E.164 configuration page appears (as shown in the screenshot below).

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Configuration Options

International Code

Defines the international dialing prefix used when placing calls to other countries without using the “+” symbol.

• Example (United States):

  • International Code: 011

  • Dialed number: [phone]

  • Converted number: 01144123456789

This allows users to dial international numbers using E.164 format while remaining compatible with carriers that require a numeric international prefix.

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Process E.164 Numbers

Controls whether the PBX processes numbers that begin with a leading “+”.

• Enabled: Numbers dialed in E.164 format (e.g., [phone]) are normalized according to the E.164 rules.

• Disabled: The PBX does not modify the dialed number, even if it starts with +.

Recommendation: Enable this option in most deployments to ensure consistent number normalization.

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Remove Special Characters

Remove the following characters from processed numbers: (, ), and spaces

• When enabled, the PBX removes these characters from dialed numbers.

• Example:

  • Dialed number: [phone]

  • Converted number: [phone]

This ensures compatibility with SIP trunks and outbound routing rules.

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Remove Country Code for Same Country

When enabled, the PBX removes the country code if the call is made within the same country.

• Example (United States):

  • Dialed number: [phone]

  • Converted number: 2345678910

This is useful when your carrier expects national-format numbers for domestic calls.

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Select Country

Select the country where your PBX tenant is located.

• This setting allows the PBX to correctly identify:

  • Your country code

  • Domestic vs. international calls

Example: Select United States (US) for all examples in this section.

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Area Code

Enter your local area code.

Remove if Same Area Code

When enabled, the PBX removes the area code for local calls if it matches the configured area code.

• Example:

  • Area Code: 813

  • Dialed number: [phone]

  • Converted number: 45678910

This is useful in regions where local dialing does not require an area code.

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National Code

Adds a national dialing prefix to the beginning of the number during processing.

• Example:

  • National Code: 8

  • Dialed number: [phone]

  • Converted number: 82345678910

This is typically required in countries where domestic calls must include a national prefix.

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Add Prefix

Adds a custom prefix to the processed number.

• Common use cases:

  • Selecting specific outbound rules

  • Carrier-specific routing requirements

Important: E.164 rules are processed before outbound routing rules.

• Example:

  • Prefix: 2

  • Dialed number: [phone]

  • Converted number: 22345678910

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Non-E.164 Calls

A Non-E.164 call is a call dialed without a leading “+”.

International Calls (Non-E.164 Format)

If the dialed number:

• Does not begin with +, and

• Begins with the configured International Code

then the call is treated as an international call.

Call Processing Flow

1. The PBX identifies the call as international based on the International Code.

2. The PBX checks the destination country code against:

   • Blacklist

   • Codes > Codes and E164 > Allowed Country Code

3. The PBX verifies the caller’s role and permissions:

   • If the caller does not have permission to make international calls, the call is rejected.

Example

• International Code: 00

• Dialed number: 004412345678

• Extracted country code: 44 (United Kingdom)

The PBX will:

• Verify whether country code 44 is allowed

• Check whether the caller is permitted to place international calls

If either check fails, the call is blocked.

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Domestic Calls (Non-E.164 Format)

If the dialed number:

• Does not begin with +, and

• Does not begin with the International Code

then the call is treated as a domestic call.

The PBX checks:

• The caller’s role and permissions for domestic calling

If the caller is not authorized to place domestic calls, the call is rejected.

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E.164 Calls

An E.164 call is any call where the dialed number begins with a leading “+”. These calls are always treated as international-format numbers, but how they are processed depends on whether Process E.164 Numbers is enabled.

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When Process E.164 Numbers Is Disabled

If Process E.164 Numbers is disabled, the PBX does not normalize or rewrite the dialed number.

Call Processing Behavior

1. The call is identified as an international call.

2. The PBX checks the destination country code against:

   • Blacklist

   • Codes > Codes and E164 > Allowed Country Code

3. The PBX verifies the caller’s role and permissions:

   • If the caller is not permitted to make international calls, the call is rejected.

Example

• Dialed number: [phone]

• Country code extracted: 44

The PBX checks whether country code 44 is allowed and whether the caller has international calling permissions. If either check fails, the call is blocked.

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When Process E.164 Numbers Is Enabled

When enabled, the PBX removes the leading “+” and applies E.164 normalization rules before outbound routing.

After removing the +, the PBX evaluates the number using the following logic.

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1. Dialed Number Starts with the Selected Country Code

If the dialed number begins with the configured Select Country code, the call is treated as a national (domestic) call.

Processing Steps

1. Remove the leading +.

2. Remove the country code.

3. If Remove if same country is enabled, the country code is discarded.

4. If Remove Area Code is enabled, the area code is also removed.

5. Generate the new dialed number using the rule:

Prefix + National Code + Remaining Number

1. Check the caller’s domestic calling permissions.

   • If the caller is not permitted to make domestic calls, the call is rejected.

Example

Configuration:

• Select Country: 44

• Area Code: 31

• Remove if same country: Enabled

• Remove Area Code: Enabled

• National Code: 11

• Add Prefix: 22

Dialed number:

[phone]

Processing result:

• Remove + → 4431867762

• Remove country code 44 → 31867762

• Remove area code 31 → 867762

• Add National Code 11 → 11867762

• Add Prefix 22 → 2211867762

Final dialed number: 2211867762

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2. Dialed Number Does NOT Start with the Selected Country Code

If the E.164 number does not begin with the configured country code, the PBX treats it as an international destination.

Processing Steps

1. Remove the leading +.

2. Generate the new dialed number using the rule:

Prefix + International Code + Dialed Number

1. Determine call type:

   • If Add Prefix is empty → International call

   • If Add Prefix is configured → National call

2. For international calls:

   • Check Allowed Country Code

   • Check caller’s international calling permissions

If any check fails, the call is rejected.

Example

• International Code: 00

• Add Prefix: (empty)

• Dialed number: [phone]

Processing result:

• Converted number: 003312345678

• Country code checked: 33

The PBX verifies:

• Country code 33 is allowed

• Caller has international calling permissions

If either condition fails, the call is blocked.

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Summary: E.164 Call Processing Logic

Scenario	Call Type	Permission Check
+ dialed, processing disabled	International	International
+ dialed, same country	Domestic	Domestic
+ dialed, different country	International	International
Prefix added	National	Domestic