Our carriers are driving the A2P 10DLC requirements for registration to send business-to-consumer text messages since 2019.

All of the other carriers in the U.S., such as Boost Mobile, Mint, Cricket, Metro PCS, and all of the other cell phone providers, are subject to the same change in policies, these changes apply to those providers as well.

The long answer is: Yes, these changes apply to these providers because they run their businesses on the networks of AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile/Sprint.

They are called MVNOs, which stand for Mobile Virtual Network Operator. They can offer discounted rates compared with the major carriers because they purchase minutes/traffic at bulk rates and then resell them to consumers.

In some cases, the MVNO is a subsidiary of or has exclusivity to a major carrier. Some pairings that fall under that include: Cricket + AT&T, Boost + Sprint, and Metro PCS + T-Mobile.

But in all cases, the MVNOs use the major mobile carrier networks and will be using their A2P 10DLC channels - so registration and associated fees will remain the same.

Don't forget: the majority of these registration requirements and fees are being set based on the cell phone provider that the text message recipient has. For most businesses, when you are sending out messages to prospects or clients, you do not know what carrier they use. So, while AT&T and T-Mobile are the two entities driving these changes, they are effectively setting the standards for the entire industry.