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On September 28, 2023, the Canadian Telecommunications Association (CTA) released the Canadian Common Short Code Infractions Guide.   As of December 1, 2023 (effective date), open audits will be subject to the applicable deadlines and penalties within the Guide.  This means that any open audits will be subject to the penalties reference in the guide as of December 1. This gives >60 days grace to resolve these open audits without penalty.    Any new Sev 1 issues will follow the same process and penalties that have historically been used until December 1.   If you have Canadian Short Codes that currently have open audits, or if you are unsure if your Short Code is at risk of being audits, please reach out to your Account Manager or ca.programs@sinch.com for additional details.  ... View more

On August 11, 2023, the Canadian Telecommunications Association (CTA) released a new Canadian A2P Messaging Best Practices document.   About this guide   Application-to-person (A2P) messages are those sent to end users by or through a business or service platform. A2P programs can be used to deliver a variety of message types and content, including suspected fraud alerts, payment reminders, delivery notifications, surveys, promotional alerts, and more. Organizations involved in the operation of A2P messaging programs in Canada must abide by all applicable laws, rules and regulations that govern the delivery of these types of messages, including Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation and applicable privacy laws.   This guide is equally applicable to P2A (person-to-application) messages and programs.   The Canadian Telecommunications Association[1] (”the Association”) has developed this guide on A2P messaging best practices and recommended program standards to: Provide direction and recommendations to content providers, brands, aggregators, and application service providers (ASPs) on how to effectively manage A2P programs in Canada Advocate for the protection of end users by reducing spam and other malicious messages Facilitate the continued growth and adoption of A2P messaging in Canada by ensuring it continues to be seen as a trusted communications channel by end users Given its role as the authority on wireless issues and trends in Canada, industry stakeholders requested that the Association lead the development of this guide. Association members represent companies that provide services and products across the wireless sector, such as mobile network operators (also called wireless carriers), aggregators, and ASPs. By representing the industry before all levels of government and various regulatory agencies, the Association actively nurtures the continued growth of the wireless sector in Canada.[2]   [1] The Canadian Telecommunications Association was formerly named the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association. [2] Canadian Telecommunications Association. (2023). Best Practices for Canadian Application-to-Person (A2P) Messaging Programs. https://www.txt.ca/en/compliance-documents/ ... View more

The Sinch Canadian Short Code Onboarding guide describes the process for onboarding Canadian short codes. (Steps for MMS provisioning added below)   The process can be summarized in 3 easy steps:   STEP 1 - Apply for the code by completing the CTA Common Short Code Application Form. Or, download the PDF and submit it to ca.programs@sinch.com.   STEP 2 - Client provides payment via credit card or invoice to CTA to secure your application in time for the carrier deadlines.   STEP 3 - CA Service Implementation team will ensure deadlines are met, and program is ready for submission.   Timeline: 3-7 weeks end to end   ⚠️ Notice: Annual Canadian Carrier Provisioning Freeze/Brownout ⚠️   The Canadian Carrier Brownout is an annual carrier provisioning freeze during which new Short Codes, or changes requiring network updates to existing Short Codes, such as aggregator migrations or price point changes, do not occur. Please make note of the following timeline changes to the Canadian Short Code provisioning process for the 2024-2025 brownout period:   In order to meet the last provisioning date of 2024 and to have a Short Code provisioned or migrated by ALL CARRIERS, applications must be submitted by:   Thursday, October 24, 2024 at 1:00pm ET Applications submitted by this deadline will be provisioned by the participating carriers between Nov. 12 – Nov. 18, 2024.   **Applications submitted after this deadline will be scheduled for provisioning in January 2025.**   As always, the Short Code Council will continue to meet throughout the remainder of November and December to review applications for provisioning starting January 6, 2025, with Bell, Freedom, Rogers, and TELUS to follow with provisioning on January 14, 2025.     Resources: Canadian Common Short Code Compliance Policies - This guide was developed by the CTA to help organizations establish and maintain compliant short code programs. Sinch - Canadian Short Code Onboarding Guide - Provides an overview on what to expect throughout the short code onboarding process. Sinch - Canada Mandatory Keywords Guide - Use this guide to create compliant mandatory keyword responses for your short code campaign. 2025 Short Code Provisioning and Migration Schedule - Reference carrier provisioning schedule and associated submission deadlines. Note: The deadline to submit application forms to the CTA is every Thursday at 1:00PM (ET). The carriers review Application Forms the following Tuesday and decide if they wish to participate in the Short Code program.    Steps to get a Canadian Short Code provisioned for MMS:   STEP 1 - Complete a Common Short Code Application Form and ensure to complete the following sections for MMS: Section 3.1 - Check off MMS as a Program Type, as well as any other applicable Program Types. Section 3.4.1 - Describe how MMS will be used as part of the customer experience. A separate attachment should be included with sample MMS files related to the proposed customer experience. Section 3.8 Message Volume Forecast - Provide an MMS-specific forecast: Estimated number of subscribers receiving MMS/month x Estimated number of MMS sent per subscriber per month = Total est. MMS msgs/month 'For MMS Programs' - Detail anticipated file types and sizes. **NOTE**  If you are looking to add MMS to a live Canadian SMS SC, please add the above details to the approved application form.  If you do not have a copy of the approved application form, reach out to CA.Programs@sinch.com for assistance.   STEP 2 - Once the application is submitted to CA.Programs@sinch.com, it will be submitted to the carriers for review.   STEP 3 - If approved, the Short Code will be provisioned in alignment with the 2024 Short Code Provisioning and Migration Schedule.     ... View more