A breakout is a group of prefixes inside one country that share a rate, such as "Mobile", "Fixed" or "Mobile Vodafone". Carriers price each breakout separately because each one costs them a different amount to terminate, so the breakout a number falls into decides what you pay for the call.
Why a country is split into breakouts
Terminating a call means handing it to the operator that serves the number. That operator charges a termination fee, and the fee depends on the type of network and on the operator itself. Mobile networks in many countries charge more than fixed networks, and within mobile each operator can set its own price. Carriers mirror these costs in their rate deck by grouping prefixes into breakouts.
The common breakout types
| Breakout | What it covers | Typical price level |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed (landline) | Geographic numbers, sometimes split by city (for example a capital city code) | Usually the lowest in the country |
| Mobile (all operators) | Every mobile prefix at one rate | Higher than fixed in most markets |
| Mobile per operator | Prefixes of one network, such as Mobile MTN or Mobile Airtel | Varies by operator |
| Special services | Premium rate, shared cost, satellite or personal numbers | Often much higher, sometimes blocked |
| Proper (country level) | The country code alone, used as a catch-all | Applies only where no longer prefix matches |
How prefixes decide the breakout
Each breakout is a list of prefixes. Your switch compares the dialed number with the deck and takes the longest prefix that matches. A number starting with the code of a specific mobile operator lands in that operator's breakout even if a cheaper country-level code exists. To compare carriers fairly, rate your real call records against each deck instead of comparing breakout names, since two carriers can call the same breakout "Mobile" but include different prefixes.
Breakouts and number portability
In countries with mobile number portability, a number may keep a prefix of one operator while being served by another. Carriers handle this in two ways: they bill by the original prefix (simple, but their cost may differ) or they look up the current network and bill by that (more accurate, sometimes with a lookup fee). Ask which method a route uses. The guide on mobile number portability and call routing covers this in detail.
Choosing breakouts when you buy
- Check your traffic mix first: what share goes to mobile, to fixed and to each operator.
- If one operator takes most of your calls, ask for a route specific to that operator; it may have better quality or price.
- Watch for special service prefixes in your traffic, which can be costly and are a common target in revenue share fraud.
- Compare the same breakout across CLI types: a CLI route and a non-CLI route to the same operator can differ a lot.
Operator routes and quality
Some carriers have a direct interconnection with one operator but not with others in the same country. Their price and quality are strong on that breakout and weaker elsewhere. This is normal, and it is why buyers often use different carriers per breakout inside one country, managed through least cost routing.
Request a route by breakout
When you ask for VoIP termination, say which breakouts you need (for example "Nigeria Mobile, all operators" or "Pakistan Mobile Jazz only"). It makes quotes comparable and faster. Browse destinations or request a voice route for the breakouts you send.
Frequently asked questions
What does breakout mean in telecom?
In wholesale voice, a breakout is a group of dialing prefixes within one country that share a rate, such as Fixed, Mobile or the mobile network of one named operator. In network design the word can also mean the point where calls leave a private or IP network for the public phone network. Rate decks use the first meaning.
What is the proper rate in a VoIP rate deck?
Proper is the country level code in a rate deck, typically the country code alone, used as a catch-all for numbers that do not match any longer prefix. It is often the cheapest line for the country, but most real traffic falls into more specific mobile or operator codes, so a cheap proper rate can be misleading.
Why are mobile breakouts more expensive than fixed?
Mobile operators in many countries charge higher termination fees than fixed networks, and each mobile operator can set its own price. Carriers pass these costs through, so mobile breakouts usually cost more than fixed ones in the same country, and breakouts for individual operators can differ noticeably from each other.
What are destination codes in VoIP?
Destination codes, also called dial codes or prefixes, are the leading digits of a phone number that identify the country and often the network, for example 2348, which covers part of Nigeria's mobile ranges. Rate decks list one rate per code, and switches pick the longest code that matches the dialed number.
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