Calls & SMS via 06 and 07 are forbidden to Companies.
Romain Didelot
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Introduction
In 2023, Arcep published a new numbering project, reshuffling the cards in the telecommunications sector. From now on, 06 and 07 numbers will be dedicated to private individuals. This new orientation gives pride of place to new messaging services for all exchanges between a platform (brands) and the consumer.
The ambition, now more than ever topical, was to put an end to fraud, smishing and other unwanted telephone canvassing, all of which blight the lives of mobile subscribers. But what if this strategy was also a new opportunity for professionals to fully enter the conversational era? Where do we stand today?
Reasoning about a market with solid growth, but with unclear contours
Arcep(L'Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques, des postes et de la distribution de la presse) has decided. From January 1, 2023, telephone numbers beginning with 06 or 07 will be reserved exclusively for private individuals, for "interpersonal" use.
" The Authority reserves the use of numbers starting with 06 and 07 - permanently attached to a user in everyone's mind - exclusively for interpersonal communications services.
As indicated in Arcep's press release on this decision, " non-interpersonal use of mobile numbers will be switched to other categories, such as the new 09 category ".
Today, companies can still send short messages to their customers from short codes (with or without Sender ID), only numbers starting with 06 and 07 are forbidden.
Why this change in numbering?
The use of notification messages has exploded in recent years. By 2022, 60% of text messages sent in France will be notifications. This strong growth is accompanied by new uses linked to the immediacy of the customer/brand relationship. These include calls and short messages sent by companies, via 06 or 07 numbers , to confirm an appointment, a delivery, or to be able to make and receive a call on a temporary number.
However, these new uses have blurred the relationship between brand and customer, paving the way for the misuse of cold calling and, above all, for a surge in fraud.
Phishing by telephone, smishingA veritable epidemic of fraud has spread, forcing the regulator to take action to better protect subscribers.
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A new numbering plan to protect subscribers
The application of this framework is excellent news, as these measures respond to 2 concrete problems:
- The explosion in unwanted commercial calls and messages, fraud and smishing
- The scarcity of resources beginning with 06 and 07
By reserving 06 and 07 for private individuals - and switching corporate communications to 09 - the general public will be able to identify corporate calls and messages more easily, and thus be more aware of the nature of the content they are receiving. This decision provides greater protection against the large volumes of calls and messages that can be a nuisance, but also against the increasing number of attempted scams.
In the same way, once this clear new legislation is in place, the regulator leaves the field open for operators to implement their ability to cut off mass shipments of smishing content via 06 and 07.
This action, coupled with the control of Sender IDs (personalized SMS senders) should make it possible to fight smishing effectively and offer the market a definite gain in credibility!
The regulator has also adopted measures to regain control over 06 and 07, and thus avoid a shortage in the future.
New numbers and uses available for businesses (Time2chat)
With the introduction of 09 telephone numbers dedicated to businesses, Arcep is regulating a usage that has seen an explosion!
Brands want to converse with their customers at all times and in an omnichannel way: by voice, by message, by short message.
As Arcep explains in its press release, the 09 numbers will meet the "growing needs of French companies" in this respect.
Interested companies will be able to implement innovative communication solutions between themselves and a subscriber, with a dedicated and recognizable type of number, offering maximum performance for these new resources.
These long numbers can be used, for example, to establish message-based conversations between a retailer and its customer, or to set up ephemeral relationships with platforms (parcel delivery, VTC drivers, etc.).
From Virtual Mobile Number to Time2Chat
At the same time as announcing the disappearance of 06 and 09, af2m announced the launch of Time2chat. A new messaging service dedicated to exchanges between brands and their customers.
The gradual shift from NMV to Time2chat illustrates the evolution of consumer needs, towards greater immediacy and interactivity.
"Because it uses SMS and voice, Time2chat benefits from the universal nature of native technologies on cell phones. There's no need to install a specific application to use Time2chat. It's a guarantee of simplicity and fluidity. explained AF2M.
With the rise of instant messaging, users and businesses have gradually adopted real-time chat platforms for far more dynamic interactions.
This evolution is explained by the search for greater efficiency in exchanges and a better user experience, responding to modern expectations of speed and user-friendliness.
Receive SMS (opt-in SMS, requests for information, registrations for a service, newsletter or game, customer data collection, etc.) and meet the needs of multiple applications.
Democratizing conversational commerce
This use could revolutionize customer relations, but also open the door to conversational commerce on all cell phones.
In recent years, brands and customers alike have seen a growing need for two-way communication. RCS and WhatsApp Business respond to this need for conversation. This new use of 09 numbers could provide a universal solution for both channels, minus the multimedia aspect.
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