Licence for premium sms text number

madonna123 · 03-12-2009 10:01PM #1

Im looking for any info on getting a licence from regtel for a premium sms text number to run competitions.

Anyone have any info on the process??

My business idea is to start up one of these text numbers.. no rip off subscription services... just straight up competition entry.

I would like to include a payment to charity from a precentage of each entry.

Im an ordinary individual with no background in this area. I have alreay put out a post on tips to starting up a company.. so any hints please post.

I know I cannot get a licence without a company name.

DubTony · 03-12-2009 10:08PM

I looked into this about 12 years ago. Things may have changed since then.
Eircom would only deal with me if I bought 100 lines at £100 a shot, and they'd recommend suppliers for the computer equipment needed.

The other option was to go to one of the companies that have the lines and do a share with them. I never took it any further so don't know what the percentages were, but I understood that they gave the line and took a chunk for themselves without incurring any expenses. I was also told that the line holder would look after sorting out any licence needed.

As I said, things may have changed. Hope that helps.

blue4ever · 03-12-2009 10:19PM

I have/had numbers and the process is fairly straight forward, but ‘tangled up in blue’.

Download the form from RegTel and fill in all the necessary details. It’s a nightmare form and so is the process - they are very particular.

Oh, I forgot to mention, running your own number will cost you serious money as the networks will charge you for the facility. Anything from €800 to €2,500 per provider (the last time I looked)

That’s one way – the other, more expedient, is to approach a service provider and piggyback on one of their own numbers and run you service out of their numbers.

ps - that whole thing is being moved to ComReg in 2010 - me thinks. So there may be a change of policy if that happens.

dbran · 03-12-2009 10:39PM

Hi

I have some experience of applying for these. Like blue4ever said the forms are straight forward but need to be completed fully before the number is allocated.

Regards

dbran

El Camino · 04-12-2009 08:42PM

The whole area is soon to be merged into ComReg and the new PSMS Bill will apply a licencing procedure and the anticipation is that ComReg will really clean up what is a very dirty business. The liklihood is that a number of those who are currently operating services and expoliting a number of loopholes will not be licenced. There will be very serious financial penalties put in place once this legislation takes place.

It's currently at committee stage in the dail and is expected to be signed in pretty shortly.

Probably not the best time to be getting into this area but if you genuinely have a good business idea i'm sure it will be successful.

Easiest route is probably to piggyback on another shortcode as the connection will already be in place with the networks.

Best of luck!!

Licence for premium sms text number

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