On December 1, 2024, major mobile carriers, including Verizon Wireless, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint, began enforcing new rules that drastically impact how businesses communicate via text. If your company uses a telephone number to send messages to mobile phones, it’s crucial to understand these changes to avoid steep penalties from the FCC.

Why Are These Rules Being Implemented?

The FCC has recently updated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) with tighter regulations around texting. This law now requires businesses to receive explicit permission from mobile users before they can text them from any business phone number. The new TCPA rules aim to curb spam and protect consumers from unsolicited messages. Businesses that ignore these regulations could face fines ranging from $500 to a staggering $1,500 per message—a costly mistake for any organization.

What You Need to Know About the New Business Texting Rules

Here’s a breakdown of what your business needs to know to stay compliant:

1. Prior Approval is MandatoryUnder the new TCPA regulations, businesses can no longer text mobile numbers without first receiving permission from the recipient. Sending messages without prior approval could quickly lead to fines, so obtaining consent is essential.
2. Registration with The Campaign RegistryAny business that plans to send and receive texts through a business telephone number must register with The Campaign Registry. This registry helps validate business text campaigns and ensures only approved numbers are used for communication with mobile users.
3. Working Together to Gain ApprovalTo help our Managed Service Providers (MSPs) comply with these regulations, D3 Unified Communications will work with you to create Brands and Campaigns for each customer. We’ve developed process diagrams that outline the specific information MSPs need to gather from their customers for approval. Together, we’ll navigate the Campaign Registry process to ensure your customer and their business numbers are compliant.
4. Unified Texting: A TCPA-Compliant SolutionUnified Texting, our SMS and MMS texting platform is fully compliant with TCPA regulations. It’s designed to support both 1-to-1 and 1-to-many texting, so businesses can communicate effectively within these new legal boundaries. With Unified Texting’s Admin Portal, you can manage texting customers just as you would through the Unified Portal for calling.
5. Mobile Integration Made EasyUnified Texting can be integrated with our Unified Mobile softphone app, transforming it into a mobile device that allows calls and texts from any business DID (Direct Inward Dialing) number on the platform. This ensures a seamless, compliant experience for businesses needing mobile functionality for their team.
6. Video Training: Helping You Sell Texting ServicesTo support our MSP partners and their customers, we’ve created a dozen new video tutorials covering the “how-to” of Unified Texting. These resources are designed to help you sell compliant texting services to new customers, especially as the business texting landscape evolves under the new TCPA regulations.

Preparing: Your Compliance Checklist

As the enforcement date approaches, make sure you and your customers are prepared. Here’s a quick compliance checklist:

– Obtain explicit permission (Opt-In) from mobile users before texting them.

– Register all texting campaigns with The Campaign Registry.

– Use Unified Texting for TCPA-compliant SMS/MMS communications.

– Leverage our video tutorials to become familiar with compliance protocols and enhance your sales strategy.

By following these steps, you’ll not only stay compliant but also set yourself up to navigate the changing landscape of business texting. As always, we’re here to help our MSPs adapt, educate their customers, and ensure all communications are secure, compliant, and effective.

If you have questions about the new rules or need assistance setting up texting campaigns, feel free to reach out to us. Together, we’ll keep your business texting secure and ready for these new changes ahead.