Sender ID Registry Glossary

If you are registering your Sender ID or reviewing ACMA requirements, you may come across unfamiliar terms. This glossary provides simple explanations to help you navigate the process with confidence.

Authorised Representative

An Authorised Representative is an Individual who has the legal authority to act on behalf of the Legal Entity registering the Sender ID (e.g. listed on the ABR Registry (CEO) or be registered in ACMA as a Business Administrator. This person is responsible for the registration request and will be contacted by The ACMA to approve the Sender Address Registration.

Brand Owner

The company that owns the brand and the Sender Address. They have the final say over who can use their Sender ID and are responsible for authorising its use in the ACMA registry.

Certified Telecommunications Provider (Certified Telco)

A telecommunications provider approved under ACMA rules to be “certified” and act as an originating provider for message registrations.

Electronic Messaging Service Provider (EMSP)

A business that has a direct relationship with the customer (the “Entity”) is sending messages. EMSPs 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

EMSPs can either manage registrations directly with ACMA or partner with a certified or participating telco (such as Tall Bob) to handle some or all of the registration requirements.

Electronic Messaging Service Provider (EMSP) Partner

An electronic messaging service that has a direct relationship with an entity and has partnered with Tall Bob to fulfill some or all of the EMSP’s obligations under the Standard.  An ESMP does not have to partner with Tall Bob. If they choose to and have the facility to do so they can interact with ACMA directly to manage obligations.   

Entity Associate

An entity that is authorised to send messages using a sender ID that belongs to another entity (the sender ID owner). For example, you are an entity associate if you 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. 

If you are an entity associate, the application process consists of 2 parts. Tall Bob will:

• Submit an application for you to participate in the register
  
• Submit an application to register the sender ID which belongs to the sender ID owner. This includes confirmation that the sender ID owner agrees to register the sender ID and gives you permission to use that sender ID. 

Non-ABN Entity

An entity without an Australian Business Number (ABN). This could be a foreign company or an Australian entity that hasn’t registered for an ABN.

Originating Telco (OT)

A telco that agrees to send messages on behalf of:

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

By default, Tall Bob acts as the OT. This means we take care of sending registration requests for ABN entities through the ACMA Assist Portal.

Participating Telecommunications Provider (Participating Telco)

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

Telecommunications provider (telco)

Either: 

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

Australian EMSPs (EMSPs who have an Australian Business Number) are considered telecommunications providers for the purposes of the SMS Sender ID Register. This means they have to apply to the ACMA to participate in the register.

Terminating Telecommunications Provider (Terminating Telco)

A carrier that is responsible for delivering 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 telecommunications provider who connects with other telecommunications providers to transit messages between two telecommunications providers over a telecommunications network.