Mastering EU Voice Termination for Asian Carriers

In the intricate world of international telecommunications, connectivity is currency. For decades, the path for voice traffic was relatively straightforward, priced primarily by its final destination. Today, that landscape has been fundamentally reshaped. Terminating calls into the European Union (EU-27) and the United Kingdom has become a complex and costly endeavor, governed by a new paradigm: Origin-Based Pricing.

For carriers in Asia, particularly those managing high volumes of traffic from China (+86 ANI), this presents a formidable challenge. European networks now levy significant surcharges on calls originating outside the European Economic Area (EEA), creating a maze of variable rates, compliance hurdles, and potential revenue loss.

This is where NGN International Carrier Services (NGN ICS) emerges not just as a provider, but as a strategic partner. As a pioneer in mastering origin-based billing and a dominant hub for global voice traffic, NGN ICS provides a robust, intelligent bridge to Europe, ensuring that calls from Asia and beyond connect with unparalleled quality, compliance, and cost-efficiency. This isn’t just about terminating calls; it’s about providing certainty in an uncertain market.

The era of simple destination-based pricing is over. The introduction of Origin-Based Billing (OBB) by European operators, a response to regulated intra-EU rate caps, has turned the continent into a patchwork of pricing zones. A call from Beijing to Berlin now travels a different economic path than a call from Paris to Berlin, even if they terminate on the same network.

The United Kingdom’s post-Brexit policy, introduced in 2021, is a prime example. UK operators now classify incoming calls by origin “bands,” with China (+86) placed in a high-cost tier. A single call from a Chinese number to a UK mobile can incur termination rates nearly four times higher than a call from North America. This model has been widely replicated across the EU, where calls from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East are consistently subject to higher fees.

For Asian telecom operators, this new reality poses critical threats to operational stability and profitability:

• Cost Volatility: Managing and predicting costs becomes a nightmare of constantly shifting rate tables for countless origin-destination pairs.
• Routing Complexity: Each call requires an intelligent routing decision to avoid unnecessarily high tariffs, overwhelming legacy systems.
• Compliance Risks: Preserving the original Caller ID (ANI) is paramount. If origin information is lost or masked, European carriers default to the highest possible surcharge, leading to bill shock and disputes.

Without a sophisticated partner, navigating European voice termination can quickly erode margins and degrade service quality, turning a core business function into a significant liability.

NGN ICS has built its reputation by turning these exact challenges into opportunities for its partners. With core network hubs in the strategic European nexuses of London, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, and over 1,000 interconnect agreements worldwide, including with behemoths like Deutsche Telekom, Orange, and BT, NGN ICS offers a single point of entry to the entire European telecom ecosystem.

What truly sets NGN ICS apart is its pioneering role in mastering origination-based billing. While competitors struggled to adapt, NGN ICS made early, decisive investments in the infrastructure and intelligence required to thrive in this new environment.

Our solution is built on three pillars:

1. AI-Driven Intelligent Routing: The NGN ICS platform is more than a simple switch. It utilizes AI-driven algorithms that instantly analyze a call’s origin (via its ANI) and select the optimal route based on a dynamic matrix of quality, cost, and latency. This ensures every call from a non-EU origin is routed through the most efficient gateway, incurring the lowest possible termination rate without compromising on carrier-grade quality.
2. Unyielding CLI Transparency: We guarantee full Caller ID (CLI) transparency and verification. The origin number, whether +86 from China or +91 from India, is delivered intact. This not only builds end-user trust and improves answer rates but also ensures our partners are billed the correct, pre-agreed-upon rate. In an ecosystem where “know your traffic” is a mandate, we provide absolute clarity.
3. Carrier-Grade Reliability and Scale: With fully redundant infrastructure delivering 99.999% uptime, our network is built to handle massive traffic volumes without failure. Our 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC) proactively monitors routes for quality degradation or sudden rate changes, addressing issues before they can impact our partners’ customers.

For carriers across Asia, partnering with NGN ICS has become the definitive strategy for seamless European access. This is especially true for Chinese telcos and service providers, whose +86 traffic faces the highest surcharges and most complex handling rules.

Consider the transformation:

• Before NGN ICS: A Chinese operator must negotiate dozens of separate bilateral agreements, constantly update a labyrinth of rate sheets, and risk having legitimate traffic blocked or overcharged due to CLI issues. The operational overhead is immense, and the financial risk is significant.
• With NGN ICS: The same operator hands off all its European-bound traffic through a single, reliable interconnect. The NGN ICS platform takes over, automatically navigating the complexities of OBB for each of the 27 EU countries and the UK. The partner receives one transparent, consolidated invoice, predictable costs, and the confidence that every call is being delivered with maximum efficiency.

We absorb the complexity so our partners can focus on their business. This powerful value proposition extends to all carriers in emerging markets, from India to the ASEAN region to the Middle East, offering a one-stop solution to connect to any phone in Europe without the associated operational burden.

The power of the NGN ICS platform is in its flexibility, serving both wholesale carriers and direct enterprise customers with equal prowess.

• For Telecom Carriers & MNOs: Consolidate your European voice strategy through a single, powerful partner. Eliminate the need for multiple interconnects, reduce overhead, and protect your margins with our optimized routing and fraud management services. We act as an extension of your routing and finance teams, ensuring quality and compliance.
• For Enterprises, Call Centers & OTT Platforms: Make direct international calling from your global operations affordable and effective. Whether you’re a contact center in Manila calling customers in Germany or a conference service provider, our solutions ensure your calls are delivered at the best possible rates with proper local number display, dramatically improving answer rates and customer engagement.
• For CPaaS, UCaaS & Digital Service Providers: Integrate with NGN ICS to instantly embed global, carrier-grade voice termination into your platform. Our developer-friendly APIs allow you to leverage our network, adding robust, reliable, and compliant global telecom capabilities to your service portfolio without investing in infrastructure.

The dynamics of voice termination have changed permanently. In this new era, your choice of partner determines whether you face a complex barrier or a strategic advantage. NGN ICS provides the technology, relationships, and expertise to ensure your communications flow seamlessly and profitably.

We handle the intricate details of multi-country routing, dynamic pricing, and regulatory compliance so you can focus on what you do best: growing your business, serving your customers, and innovating for the future.

If your organization is seeking to fortify its voice connectivity into the EU-27 and UK, the conversation starts here. Let us show you how our tailored solutions can empower your global communications.

Contact our team today for a consultation. Let’s build the future of global connectivity, together.