Webinar wrap-up: Demystifying 10DLC registration requirements

Here are some takeaways from our latest webinar on 10DLC Registration in 2022.

Business text messaging modernizes B2C interactions. But, as business text messaging grows in popularity, so does the demand for user protection within this channel. So how does this affect the messaging industry? 10DLC requirements (rules for sending and receiving various text types) constantly evolve. This sheer amount of change has businesses asking, “what does this mean for me?”

We had a webinar on July 21st to discuss how these messaging changes can impact your business. Experts Stefan Heller, VP of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships at The Campaign Registry (TCR), and Emily Champion, Product Manager of Messaging at Bandwidth, discussed the impact of 10DLC registration requirements on businesses using SMS. 

If you missed the webinar, we’ve got you covered! We have laid out a quick recap of the discussion below.
Want the full webinar recording? See the recorded version here.

Overview of 10DLC registration requirements

 History of messaging and 10DLC 

The messaging industry has changed significantly in a brief period. Here are some of the big happenings of the last six years. 

The year: 1992. Whitney Houston’s “I will always love you” hit number one in the U.S. charts, George H. W. Bush was in the White House, and 22-year-old software architect Neil Papworth sent the first SMS (Short Message Service).

Since then, pop culture, politics, and messaging have undergone massive changes.

Some of the most significant developments in messaging have happened in the past few years as carriers put in more active measures to prevent spam from sending on their network. 

Here are some key events to keep note of:

December 2018: FCC Ruling that allows carriers to self-regulate the overall messaging industry. 

February 2020: Verizon officially launches its 10DLC program.

August 2020:  AT&T launches its formalized 10DLC program. 

November 2020: T-Mobile releases its updated code of conduct. 

The adoption of 10DLC policies continues to be a trending issue in the messaging industry, along with the creation of The Campaign Registry (TCR). 

Who is The Campaign Registry?

Business-to-consumer (B2C) communication via texting has grown significantly over the past couple of years. Why? Messaging The Campaign Registry or TCR is the central hub for registering 10DLC messaging campaigns. When a brand enrolls, TCR sends its information to carriers to ensure they know what content is transmitted across their network. In simple terms, the registry establishes who’s sending a message and what types of messages it is.

10DLC in 2022

What was the big change on March 1st?

No one likes spammy messages, and carriers don’t want that traffic on their network. So, to protect consumers and encourage 10DLC registration, carriers like T-Mobile and AT&T began imposing surcharges and message fees for all unregistered traffic. Unfortunately, this means higher-than-usual deliverability issues (like blocked messages), and more costs for any traffic not registered with TCR.

How does 10DLC A2P work?

Carriers and TCR want business text messages to be 10DLC compliant and have made the registration process as easy as one-two-three. 

Step 1:  The CSP (Campaign Service Provider) – that’s you! – registers its brands and campaigns on The Campaign Registry website and is assigned a unique Campaign ID. Be sure you are entering in the correct information about your business, or it can cause delays in registration! Bandwidth can help with this. (You can register brands and campaigns through Bandwidth using the Bandwidth Dashboard. For step-by-step instructions, see How to register a brand for 10DLC and How to register a campaign for 10DLC.) Step 2: The DCA (Direct Connect Aggregator) – that’s Bandwidth or another messaging provider – uploads the numbers associated with that particular Campaign ID to their NNID in the OSR (Override Service Registry).  Step 3: Once it goes live, the brand can send messages associated with that campaign!

Carriers can now review registered traffic and see what kind of messages are on their network. These policies give CSPs and Brands better deliverability rates as they communicate with their end-user. 

Tip: 
Once you have that Campaign ID,  bring it back to Bandwidth, and we can handle assigning the correct numbers on your behalf!

 Moving forward with 10DLC

Since March 2022,  Bandwidth has seen registered traffic continue to grow as more of our customers have realized that adopting 10DLC benefits them in the long run. Over one million brands and campaigns have registered with The Campaign Registry. 

TCR and Bandwidth want to create a positive customer 10CLC experience. But like any new product launch, new use cases that haven’t been accounted for yet will pop up and probably be frustrating. That’s why Bandwidth will continue collaborating with TCR to meet our client’s unique needs through this new messaging landscape.

In the end, registration is what the general ecosystem demands. Consumers want a reliable network that sends the messages they desire, and businesses want better deliverability rates for their SMS campaigns.

Brands, Campaigns, and 10DLC

What were the top ten campaign use cases in 2021?

Over the past few years, TCR has collected insightful data on campaign use cases that were most frequently registered. 

The graph below represents the top 10 most commonly reported use cases from a selection of those you can choose from when registering within TCR. 

1. Low volume (select five sub-use cases, ideal for small businesses) 2. Marketing 3. Customer Care 4. Account notifications 5. Political 6. Charity 7. Higher education  8. 2FA (Two-factor authentication)  9. Delivery notification 10. Platform trial

What were the top ten campaign verticals in 2021?

There were no surprises or plot twists in the top 10 campaign vertical results. If you work in the messaging industry, these are the verticals that you’d expect to be the most frequently used.

1. Retail 2. Healthcare 3. Professionals  4. Real estate  5. Technology  6. NGO (Government entities)  7. Financial  8. Education 9. Insurance 10. Entertainment

Final Thoughts

With a 98% open rate, SMS is a powerful channel for companies to engage customers, and 10DLC registration continues to be the way to combat spam and avoid delays, higher costs, and low deliverability of business messages. Although registration can seem daunting, TCR and Bandwidth are here to make the process as straightforward as possible.

Business messages are a great way to interact with customers; TCR and Bandwidth want to make it a safe and trustworthy space for everyone. 10DLC registration can make that happen!

Have further questions on 10DLC, registering, or navigating carrier regulations? Let’s talk!  

*Be sure to be on the lookout for part 2 of this series in September where we will be covering toll-free!