# What is A2P SMS?

> A2P (application-to-person) SMS is a text message initiated by a business software application — for OTPs, notifications, alerts, transactional confirmations, marketing — delivered to a consumer mobile phone. A2P is the dominant business-messaging modality globally, with over 2 trillion A2P messages sent per year.

- Canonical URL: https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-a2p-sms
- Language: en
- Last reviewed: 2026-08-08
- Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me)

## How A2P SMS works

An enterprise application calls a CPaaS or SMS API (like BroadNet's). The CPaaS routes the message through its SMSC to a mobile network operator via SMPP, SS7, or HTTP. The operator's SMSC delivers to the recipient's handset. A delivery receipt comes back through the same path.

## A2P vs P2P SMS

P2P is text from one person to another via their mobile dial-pad. A2P is sent by software to a person. A2P is regulated, monetized, and routed differently from P2P — A2P routes have higher operator fees but high, operator-direct deliverability.

## What's a grey route?

A grey route is A2P traffic that bypasses official A2P agreements by appearing as P2P — using consumer SIMs, foreign HLRs, or SS7 backdoors. Grey routes deliver but are unreliable, untraceable, and cost operators billions in lost revenue. BroadNet operates on direct A2P routes only.

## Related

- [All answers](https://www.broadnet.me/answers)
- [Glossary](https://www.broadnet.me/answers)
- [How do you send an SMS via API?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/how-to-send-sms-via-api)
- [What is P2P SMS?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-p2p-sms)
- [What is a grey route in SMS?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-grey-route-sms)
- [What is A2P monetization?](https://www.broadnet.me/answers/what-is-a2p-monetization)
- [A2P SMS](https://www.broadnet.me/products/a2p-sms)
- [Bulk SMS](https://www.broadnet.me/products/bulk-sms)