4.5 Add, manage and remove telco partners and entity associates

Originating telcos can add telco partners to the register and register entity associates.

Examples of an entity associate include:

• 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.

Telcos may add a telco partner, such as an international partner or an EMSP partner, to support entities in registering sender IDs and sending messages with registered sender IDs.

International partners are not direct register participants and only interact with the register through their relationship with the participating telco.

EMSP partners are direct participants that have made arrangements with another participating telco to fulfill all or some of their obligations.

In most circumstance, a telco partner has a direct relationship with an entity, and the participating telco will undertake all register-related actions on behalf of the telco partner.

1. Click on the Partners tab.
2. Click on the Add telco partner details button to add a partner telco to the register.

A pop-up window will appear. The next steps will depend on whether the telco partner has an ABN.

• Option 1 - the telco partner has an ABN (it is an EMSP Partner)
• Option 2 - the telco partner doesn’t have an ABN (it is an international partner)

Option 1 - the telco partner has an ABN (it is an EMSP Partner)

3. Choose ABN from the Business registration type drop-down menu.
4. Enter the partner telco’s ABN in the Australian Business Number (ABN) field.
5. The partner telco’s name will auto populate in the Telco partner name field.
6. Enter the telco partner’s website in the Website field.
7. Enter the telco partner’s phone number in the Telephone field.
8. Enter the telco partner’s address in the address field.

Option 2 - the telco partner doesn’t have an ABN (it is an international partner)

3. Select Other from the Business registration type drop-down menu.

4. In the Business registration number field, enter the entity associate’s unique identifier. If the entity associate’s official recognition or certification does not include a unique identifier, enter the entity name exactly as it is entered on the official record of recognition or certification.
5. Enter the telco partner’s business registration in the Business registration number field.
6. The partner telco’s name will auto populate in the Telco partner name field.
7. Enter the telco partner’s website in the Website field.
8. Enter the telco partner’s phone number in the Telephone field.
9. Select the telco partner’s country of registration in the Country of registration field.
10. Enter the telco partner’s address in the address field.

Contact details

11. Enter the details of the contact person of the telco in the Contact details fields.

12. Click the Save button.

The telco partner will be added to your partner list and be ready to use.

If an entity associate submits an application request to you, you must apply to register it by following the steps below.

To apply to register an entity associate: 

1. Click on the Partners tab.
2. Click on the Apply to register an entity associate button.

A pop-up window will appear.

3. If the entity associate is applying via a telco partner, select the telco partner from the Telco Partner drop-down list.

4. Enter the entity associate’s ABN in the Australian Business Number (ABN) field.
5. The entity associate’s business name will auto populate in the Business name field.
6. Enter the entity associate’s website or social media page in the Website field.
7. Enter the entity associate’s phone number in the Telephone field.
8. Enter the entity associate’s address in the Address field.

Contact details

9. Enter the details of a representative of the entity associate in the Contact details fields. These details will be used to contact the entity associate to ask them to confirm their registration as an entity associate.
10. Click on the Submit button.

The entity associate will be added to your dashboard with the status of Pending partner verification. Once the entity associate contact has confirmed the registration and the registration has been approved, the status will change to Ready to use. 

Before an entity associate can send messages using another entity’s sender ID:

• you must submit an application to register the sender ID (section 4.3.3) for the entity (sender ID owner).
• the sender ID owner must agree to register the sender ID and authorise the entity associate to use that sender ID, and the ACMA must approve the application. 

If the sender ID is registered (and the entity associate is registered to participate in the register), you must notify the entity associate that they are authorised to use the sender ID after 1 July 2026.

If your relationship with a telco partner or entity associate has ended, you can remove them from your account.

To remove a telco partner or entity associate:

1. Click on the Partner tab. 

2. Click on the Partner name (telco partner/entity associate) that you want to remove.

A pop-up box will appear.

3. Scroll to the bottom and click the Delete button.

Another pop-up box will appear.

4. Click the OK button.

The telco partner or entity associate will be removed from your account.

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.