# A2P SMS, OTP, and sender ID rules in Zambia

> BroadNet delivers A2P SMS and OTP in Zambia over direct connections to Airtel Zambia, MTN Zambia, and Zamtel, with ZICTA sender ID registration in 5-10 business days.

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

Direct termination into Airtel Zambia, MTN Zambia, and Zamtel with ZICTA sender ID registration handled in-house.

## Key facts

- Regulator: ZICTA (Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority)
- Dialling code: +260
- MCC: 645
- Mobile subscribers: 21M
- Sender-ID lead time: 5-10 business days
- Time to launch: Live in 5–15 business days from test-access request to production
- Typical OTP latency: 3.4 s
- Typical delivery rate, operator-direct: 98.8%
- SMS price band: USD 0.03 – 0.05 (indicative list rates, reviewed 2026-09-24)
- Billing currencies: USD

## Operators

| Operator | MNC | Route | Grade | A2P rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airtel Zambia | 645-01 | Direct | A+ | USD 0.0427 |
| MTN Zambia | 645-02 | Direct | A+ | USD 0.0404 |
| Zamtel | 645-03 | Direct | A | USD 0.038 |

## Technical facts for Zambia

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) | 645 |
| Dialling code | +260 |
| Operators (MCC-MNC) | Airtel Zambia · 645-01; MTN Zambia · 645-02; Zamtel · 645-03 |
| 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 | ZICTA (Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority) |
| Sender-ID rules | ZICTA sender ID registration via operator. English primary; local languages acceptable. |
| Sender-ID lead time | 5-10 business days |

## Pricing

| Band | Transactional | Promotional | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go | USD 0.0380 | USD 0.0463 | List rate up to 100K messages/month |
| Growth · 100K+ | USD 0.0334 | USD 0.0408 | Auto-tier discount |
| Volume · 1M+ | USD 0.0281 | USD 0.0343 | Includes quarterly route review |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Direct operator pricing + signed SLA |

## Sender ID

ZICTA sender ID registration via operator. English primary; local languages acceptable.

ZICTA sender ID registration: 5-10 business days.

## Rules

- **ZICTA sender ID**: Sender IDs registered via operator route.
- **DPA 2021**: Zambia Data Protection Act enforced.
- **Opt-out required**: Every promotional SMS must carry opt-out language.

## Compliance

Zambia Data Protection Act 2021 enforced.

## Sample A2P template

```text
Your verification code is 384921.
```

## Related

- https://www.broadnet.me/regulations/zambia
- https://www.broadnet.me/pricing/sms/zambia