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How many characters can an alphanumeric sender ID have?
Up to 11 characters, drawn from the Latin letters A–Z and a–z, the digits 0–9 and, on most networks, a space and a few punctuation marks. The limit comes from the SMS originating-address field, which holds 11 characters when it carries a name instead of a number. An ID made only of digits is treated as a number rather than a name, and operators reject IDs that imitate a bank, a government body or a brand the sender does not own.
Can recipients reply to an alphanumeric sender ID?
No. A name is not a routable address, so the handset has nothing to reply to. When you need replies — opt-out keywords such as STOP, survey answers or two-way support — send from a long number or a short code, and keep the alphanumeric ID for one-way passcodes, alerts and notifications. Promotional messages sent from a name should tell the recipient another way to opt out.
Which countries require sender ID registration?
Most markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia require the ID to be registered with the regulator or with each operator before traffic is accepted; unregistered IDs are blocked or replaced with a generic number. In the UAE, for example, the TDRA framework requires registered IDs and an AD- prefix on promotional senders. Some markets do not support alphanumeric senders at all: in the United States, business SMS is sent from 10DLC numbers, toll-free numbers or short codes instead. Rules change, so check the country's regulation page before you launch.
How does BroadNet handle alphanumeric sender IDs?
BroadNet registers sender IDs on the customer's behalf in the markets that require it, keeps the registration documents per country and routes each ID only over the operator connections where it is approved. Registration time depends on the regulator and the operator, so start it before a campaign or a product launch, not on the day.