The National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) has called on businesses and organizations to register their commercial aliases by September 15, 2026. This step is crucial to prevent telecom operators from blocking the identification of SMS, MMS, and RCS messages sent to customers. The initiative aims to verify sender authenticity and combat identity fraud, leaving entities with just 15 days to comply before the new filtering regime takes effect.
Industry sources report that major service providers, energy companies, banks, insurers, and telecom operators have largely completed their registrations. However, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and freelancers show significantly lower compliance, often due to a lack of information about the regulation or challenges in managing their communication channels.
The regulation impacts all entities sending transactional or informational notifications using alphanumeric aliases—such as brand names, corporate titles, or web domains—instead of traditional numeric phone numbers. Retailers, transport operators, healthcare providers, and public administrations are among those required to register to maintain their on-screen identification for end users.
Starting September 15, telecom operators will block SMS, MMS, or RCS messages using unregistered aliases in the CNMC Alias Registry. Additionally, phone companies must intercept registered messages from operators not enrolled in the system. Unregistered businesses can continue electronic communications with clients, but messages will only be delivered using standard phone numbers without corporate aliases.
This administrative procedure is based on the Ministerial Order from February 12 and the CNMC Circular from March 18. Both documents outline the technical, format, and linkage requirements for alphanumeric senders as part of the Government’s Anti-Fraud Plan. The mechanism allows operators to verify that the sender name matches the originating company.
The CNMC urges organizations that have received official requests regarding brand registration to respond promptly to avoid disruptions in their commercial and informational services. The regulator clarified that companies not registered by September 15 can still register their aliases later to resume sending identified messages.
