Amazon Chime SDK now supports public switched telephone network (PSTN) audio

The Amazon Chime SDK is a service that makes it easy for developers to add real-time audio, video, and screen sharing capabilities to their applications. Starting today, the service connects to the global phone network so that attendees can dial into an Amazon Chime SDK meeting using a telephone. The feature also lets you programmatically place an outbound call to a phone number and connect the call to a meeting session. Previously, attendees were able to join Amazon Chime SDK meeting audio using voice over IP (VoIP) in mobile and web applications.

When building applications with the Amazon Chime SDK, you can now engage end users who don’t have your mobile app installed, don’t have access to a computer, or prefer the familiar experience of making a phone call. For example, a telehealth application could offer a dial-in phone number so patients have another way to join an online consultation with their doctor. In another example, a distance learning application could use PSTN audio to integrate a classroom speaker phone for hybrid learning. The speakerphone lets students, attending virtually from home, easily communicate with the teacher and other students who are in the classroom.

PSTN audio is available today in the US East (N. Virginia) and US West (Oregon) regions with support for United States telephone numbers. The feature supports outbound calling to over 115 countries. For pricing information, please visit the Amazon Chime SDK pricing page.

To get started with PSTN audio, see the following resources:

• Amazon Chime SDK Developer Guide
• Amazon Chime SDK API Reference
• Amazon Chime Administration Guide
• Sample code on GitHub