# A2P SMS, OTP, and sender ID rules in the United Kingdom

> BroadNet delivers A2P SMS and OTP in the United Kingdom over direct connections to EE, Vodafone UK, O2, and Three UK; sender IDs need no formal pre-registration with ICO + Ofcom.

- Canonical URL: https://www.broadnet.me/coverage/united-kingdom
- Language: en
- Last updated: 2026-10-21
- Publisher: BroadNet (https://www.broadnet.me)

Direct termination to EE, Vodafone UK, O2, and Three with MNP (Mobile Number Portability) handled automatically by BroadNet's per-message HLR lookup.

## Key facts

- Regulator: ICO + Ofcom (Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Office of Communications (Ofcom))
- Dialling code: +44
- MCC: 234
- Mobile subscribers: 85M
- Sender-ID lead time: Free-form (no formal registration)
- Time to launch: Live in 5–15 business days from test-access request to production
- Typical OTP latency: 2.4 s
- Typical delivery rate, operator-direct: 99.5%
- SMS price band: GBP 0.0237 – 0.0245 (indicative list rates, reviewed 2026-09-24)
- Billing currencies: GBP, USD, EUR

## Operators

| Operator | MNC | Route | Grade | A2P rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EE (BT) | 234-30 | Direct | A+ | GBP 0.0237 |
| Vodafone UK | 234-15 | Direct | A+ | GBP 0.0237 |
| O2 (VMO2) | 234-10 | Direct | A+ | GBP 0.0245 |
| Three UK | 234-20 | Direct | A | GBP 0.0245 |

## Technical facts for the United Kingdom

Network codes, message lengths and sender-ID rules in one table. Segment lengths are the GSM standard values (3GPP TS 23.038).

| Technical facts | |
|---|---|
| Mobile country code (MCC) | 234 |
| Dialling code | +44 |
| Operators (MCC-MNC) | EE (BT) · 234-30; Vodafone UK · 234-15; O2 (VMO2) · 234-10; Three UK · 234-20 |
| SMS length, GSM-7 (Latin alphabet) | 160 characters in a single SMS; 153 per part when concatenated |
| SMS length, UCS-2 (Arabic, Cyrillic and other scripts) | 70 characters in a single SMS; 67 per part when concatenated |
| Regulator | ICO + Ofcom (Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and Office of Communications (Ofcom)) |
| Sender-ID rules | Alphanumeric sender IDs do not require pre-registration but must be consistent and brand-identifiable. Under Ofcom rules finalised in July 2026, providers must check business senders and their sender IDs from 15 July 2027. |
| Sender-ID lead time | Free-form (no formal registration) |

## Pricing

| Band | Transactional | Promotional | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | GBP 0.0237 | GBP 0.0279 | List rate up to 100K messages/month |
| Growth · 100K+ | GBP 0.0209 | GBP 0.0246 | Auto-tier discount |
| Volume · 1M+ | GBP 0.0175 | GBP 0.0207 | Includes quarterly route review |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Direct operator pricing + signed SLA |

## Sender ID

Alphanumeric sender IDs do not require pre-registration but must be consistent and brand-identifiable. Under Ofcom rules finalised in July 2026, providers must check business senders and their sender IDs from 15 July 2027.

No formal sender ID registration in the UK — BroadNet enforces brand-consistency rules to keep delivery clean.

## Rules

- **Sender ID free-form**: Alphanumeric sender IDs do not require pre-registration but must be consistent and brand-identifiable per Ofcom guidance.
- **UK GDPR + PECR**: UK GDPR plus Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 — explicit opt-in for marketing, opt-out on every send.
- **Ofcom sender checks**: Ofcom's rules finalised in July 2026 require operators and aggregators to verify business senders and their sender IDs from 15 July 2027.
- **MNP via per-message HLR**: UK has high mobile-number portability. Every send runs an HLR lookup to route to the current carrier — at no extra fee.

## Compliance

UK GDPR + PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003). Explicit opt-in for marketing, opt-out on every send. Per-message HLR lookup for MNP at no extra fee.

## Sample A2P template

```text
Your verification code is 384921. Do not share it. Reply STOP to opt out.
```

## Related

- https://www.broadnet.me/regulations/united-kingdom
- https://www.broadnet.me/pricing/sms/united-kingdom