What are virtual phone numbers?

Question

What are virtual phone numbers?

Answer 1

Real phone numbers are typically tied to landline phones over the PSTN telephone network (public switched telephone network).

Virtual phone numbers are typically tied to VoIP calling services and the VoIP account holders.

With VoIP services, users can call each other directly via their Virtual numbers, over the Internet.  Usually, your VoIP Account number becomes your Virtual number.  Calling between virtual numbers (In-Network calling) is typically free between account holders.

The difference between Virtual and Real phone numbers become a grey area when VoIP services assign a Real PSTN phone number to your VoIP account.  Now, people on landlines and cells can call your VoIP number directly to your PC or ATA (analog telephone adapter).

In the VoIP industry, when real phone numbers are linked to VoIP accounts, or virtual numbers, it is more correctly called a DID number (Direct Inbound Dialing).

What happens here is, when a landphone calls your VoIP DID, the land phone call goes through the PSTN network to a VoIP gateway that now transfers the phone call onto the VoIP network and eventually reaches the VoIP phone through the VoIP service tied to your VoIP DID.  VoIP DID's are now available almost anywhere in the world, and also as 1-800 numbers too.

I have a Virtual number with InPhonex (it's also my account number), and I have a Virtual number with CallCentric (which is also my account number there).  

With InPhonex, I was able to create a total of 5 virtual numbers under my one account. (each virtual number can be connected to from different locations, or users, if I authorize)

I have purchased (leased) DID's for these accounts, too.  I have one DID phone number through InPhonex, and another DID phone number tied to CallCentric.  I can purchase as many DID phone numbers as I want with each of these accounts.  

I can receive phone calls on my PC using a configurable Soft-Phone (I prefer OpenWengo), or on my VoIP ATA phone adapter box (Linksys PAP2T), or I can have the calls forwarded anywhere on the planet I decide, or to Voicemail with notifications via email.