Question : How are Skype out and other VOIP calls routed?
How does the call get from the public Internet onto the telephone network? Does Skype (and the other VOIP operators) own equipment in each country to provide the interface? Where is it situated, in each telephone exchange, or centrally?
Mali, the question concerned calls that go from the internet to land phones.
voip calls

Best answer:

Answer by Jeff B.
I believe your assumption is correct.
That seems to be the only real way to get onto the PSTN network. There probably has to be an Internet VoIP to PSTN gateway box situated at each local area exchange (or they rent one from the local exchange, the same as they rent the DID phone numbers and then re-market the numbers to users).

This is probably why SkypeIN is not available in all countries or all area codes. I live in Canada and we cannot get SkypeIN number in Canada yet (I’ve asked them numerous times in past years). I have had one in USA though.