10DLC is the telecommunications industry’s novel solution to the legislative and regulatory developments of the past few years. Short for 10-digit long code, 10DLC uses regular local landlines instead of short codes or toll-free numbers for application-to-person (A2P) messaging all across North America.
Long codes have long been used for purposes such as customer service and use cases are rapidly expanding to better suit other business needs as well. Of course, “10DLC” isn’t just any standard long code. That phrase comes laden with its own laundry list of laws and regulations that control the ways in which you can and should be using 10-digit long codes for A2P messaging.
Differences Between 10DLC, Short Codes, and Toll-Free Numbers
To gain a better understanding of what 10DLC is and what industry professionals mean when they use the phrase “10-digit long code,” let’s look at 10DLC in comparison to traditional short codes and toll-free numbers.
Short Codes
An example short code is 123456. There are two kinds of short codes: vanity and random. Vanity short codes are deliberate, chosen to represent a sequence of numbers that is important to the company. Random short codes are random.
A short code is an abbreviated number commonly between four and six digits in length. As of September 2021, short codes are the most common A2P solution globally. However, 10DLC is set to upset that in the coming years for a variety of reasons that we’ll cover in the next few sections.
Whereas short codes remain the ideal A2P solution for large-scale, enterprise-level communications, 10DLC has become North America’s most efficient A2P solution when communicating with clients on the local, in-branch level.
Toll-Free Numbers
An example toll-free number is +1 (800) 555-1234.
Toll-free numbers are often referred to as “eight hundred numbers” due to the fact that they all begin with an eight. Prior to the advent of 10DLC, text-enabled toll-free numbers were on the rise in popularity, particularly in customer service use cases.
Although both 10DLC and text-enabled toll-free numbers are capable of sending the same kinds of messages, the throughput and deliverability of 10DLC messages are significantly higher. That’s because 10DLC includes a form of pre-registration with mobile network operators (MNOs) known as The Campaign Registry (TCR), which we will cover more in depth later in this article.
5 Benefits of 10DLC
Improved Message Deliverability
Ease of Regulatory Compliance
Greater Local Appeal
10DLC Numbers Support Both Text and Voice
Lower Prices
Short codes are often hella pricey.
The Problem of Robocalls and Other Spam
Laws and Regulations
10DLC and the Campaign Registry
Registration
FAQs
See: 10DLC FAQs.