4.4 Initiate, manage and review the status of entity registration

If you are an originating telco, the following instructions set out the process to add your customer’s details to your register account, in anticipation of making an application to register the entity and their sender IDs once they contact you to apply. Please note, the process described in this section does not register the entity. It is simply a preparatory step if you anticipate receiving an application from them (e.g. because they are an existing customer who you send messages for).

Transiting and terminating telcos cannot add entities to their accounts.

To add an entity to your register account:

1. Click on the Entities tab.
2. Click on the Add ABN entity details button.

A popup window will open.

3. Start typing the entity’s name or ABN in the Australian Business Number (ABN) field. A list will appear as you type. Select the entity from the list.
4. Enter the entity’s web address, or online presence on a social media platform, into the Website field.
5. The Entity name field will be populated with information from the ABR.
6. Enter the entity’s phone number in the Business phone field.
7. Enter the entity's main business location in the Primary business address field. If the entity is a company, enter the full address of their registered office. If the entity is not a company, enter the address of their principal place of business, operation or administration.
8. Click Save.

The entity will now appear in your entity list.

After an entity has registered sender IDs through you, or authorised you to use its senders IDs, you will be able to view them in your account.

To view all the registered sender IDs that you are authorised to use to send sender ID messages for an entity:

1. Click on the Entities tab.
2. Click the check boxnext to the entity name.

3. Click on the Filter Sender IDs button.

You will be taken to the Sender IDs tab with a filter applied so you only see the registered sender IDs for the selected entity that you are authorised to send messages for. To remove the filter and see all the registered sender IDs registered (for all your customers) that you are authorised to send messages for:

4. Click on the Entity filter.

The filter will be removed, and you will see the full list of the registered sender IDs you are authorised to send messages for.

You may need to update an entity’s details, for example, if they contact you to advise that they have a new business address. 

To update an entity’s detail:

1. Click on the Entities tab.
2. Click on the Entity name.

A pop-up window will appear.

3. Edit the information in the Website (or social media page), Business phone and/or Primary business address fields as needed (the ABN or Entity name cannot be edited).

4. Click the Save button.

To remove an entity from your account:

1. Click on the Entitiestab.

2. Click on the Entity name.

A pop-up window will appear.

3. Click on the Delete button to remove the entity from your account. This does not remove the entity from the register.

ABN (Australian Business Number)

Has the meaning given by section 41 of the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999.

ABR (Australian Business Register)

The register established under section 24 of the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999.

ACMA Assist

ACMA Assist is the online portal for the ACMA.

Certified telecommunications provider (certified telco)

A participating telco that is an originating telco that has been approved by the ACMA to be a certified telecommunications provider. A certified telco can apply to register sender IDs and send sender ID messages on behalf of non-ABN entities.

Client record (account)

An account that organisations set up with ACMA to access specific services. The account contains all relevant information about a telco or entity interacting with the SMS Sender ID Register.

Customer

An entity that has a contractual arrangement with their telco relating to the sending of sender ID messages.

Electronic messaging service provider (EMSP)

1. EMSPs are defined in section 108A of the Telecommunications Act 1997 - Federal Register of Legislation, and include providers involved in sending text messages, such as:

• SMS aggregators
• customer relationship management platform providers
• software as a service providers
• communications platform as a service providers
• automated marketing platform providers
• two-factor authentication providers

After the ACMA approves the application, and in accordance with subsection 4(3) of the Standard, an EMSP can comply with its obligations under the Standard by:

1. fulfilling the obligations itself, or
2. becoming an EMSP partner, by arranging with another participating telco to fulfill some or all of the obligations on its behalf under subsection 13(5) of the Standard.

EMSP partner

An electronic messaging service provider that has a direct relationship with an entity and who has partnered with:

• any participating telco that is an originating telco – if the EMSP’s customers are ABN entities.
• An originating telco that is a certified telco – if the EMSP’s customers are a non-ABN entity.

and has arranged for the provider to fulfill some or all of the EMSP’s obligations under the Standard on its behalf.

Entity

One of the following who uses or proposes to use sender identification messages:

• an individual
• a body corporate
• a corporation sole
• a body politic
• a government entity (within the meaning of the A New Tax System (Australian Business Number) Act 1999)
• a partnership
• any other unincorporated association or body of persons
• a trust
• a superannuation fund (within the meaning of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993).

Entity associate

An entity who is authorised by another entity to send sender ID messages using the sender ID registered in the register for that other entity. Examples of entity associates are:

• a research company that has been engaged by a bank to send messages for the bank, using its sender ID
• a sports club that is authorised to send messages, using a sender ID that is owned by a sports league
• an advertising or marketing agency engaged by a business to run advertising and promotional campaigns, using a sender ID owned by that business.

International partner

An international telecommunications service provider that has a direct relationship with an entity and who has partnered with either:

• any participating telco that is an originating telco – if the international telco’s customers are ABN entities.
• An originating telco that is a certified telco – if the international telco’s customers are a non-ABN entity.

to make an application for registration of a sender ID and to send sender ID messages on behalf of the relevant customer.

Originating telecommunications provider (originating telco)

A telco that agrees to send sender ID messages on behalf of either:

• a customer
• an international partner
• an EMSP partner.

Participating telecommunications provider (participating telco)

A telco that has been approved by the ACMA to participate in the register.

Telecommunications provider (telco)

Either:

• a carrier
• a carriage service provider
• an electronic messaging service provider.

Telco partner

An international partner or EMSP partner. Requirements relating to telco partners are set out in section 13 of the Standard.

Terminating telecommunications provider (terminating telco)

A carrier that is responsible for delivering sender ID messages to message recipients who are connected to a public mobile telecommunications service owned or controlled by the carrier.

Transiting telecommunications provider (transiting telco)

A telco that connects with other telcos to transit sender identification messages between 2 telcos over a telecommunications network.