Understanding Channels
Before you start making calls on DoubleTick Telephony, it is important to understand what channels are — because the number of channels you purchase directly determines how many calls your team can make at the same time.
What is a channel?
Think of a channel as a phone line. Just like a traditional office telephone system where each physical line can handle one call at a time, a DoubleTick Telephony channel handles one call leg at a time.
The number of channels you have is your calling capacity — it determines how many simultaneous calls are possible across your entire team at any given moment.
There are two types of channels
TATA Channels
These are phone lines procured from TATA, our telecom partner. TATA channels are your actual calling infrastructure — without them, no calls can be made. The number of TATA channels you purchase is what sets your concurrency limit.
TATA channels are paid for directly by you to TATA at Rs. 700 per channel. This is separate from your DoubleTick billing.
DoubleTick PSTN Channels
This is the phone number that lives inside DoubleTick — the number your agents call from and the number that appears on your customer's screen when they receive a call. It works exactly like a WhatsApp number on DoubleTick — multiple agents can be mapped to it and use it simultaneously.
DoubleTick PSTN channels are charged at Rs. 150 per channel on your DoubleTick invoice.
How they work together
TATA channels give you the capacity to make calls. The DoubleTick PSTN channel gives you the number to call from. Both are required. One without the other will not work.
What it is
A phone line
A phone number
What it controls
How many simultaneous calls are possible
Which number agents call from and customers see
Paid to
TATA directly
DoubleTick
Cost
Rs. 700 per channel
Rs. 150 per channel
What is a DID number?
DID stands for Direct Inward Dialing. In simple terms, it is the Caller ID — the number that appears on your customer's phone when they receive a call from your agent. You can configure which number is displayed. This is also referred to as CLI (Calling Line Identification).
How many channels does my business need?
This depends on how many agents you expect to be on calls at the same time during peak hours. This is called concurrency — the number of calls happening simultaneously at any given moment.
Because each active call uses 2 channels (explained in detail in the Click-to-Call article), use this formula to calculate your requirement:
Maximum agents on calls at the same time × 2 = TATA channels to purchase
Example: If at peak time 20 agents are on calls simultaneously, you need 20 × 2 = 40 TATA channels.
A practical note: In most businesses, not all agents are on calls at the exact same time. Base your estimate on realistic peak usage — not your total team size. If you are unsure, your DoubleTick account manager can help you arrive at the right number before you place the order.
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