How the TCR Revolutionized the Telecom Industry
TL;DR
- ✅ TCR unified carriers around a single 10DLC compliance playbook.
- ✅ Deliverability improves with brand/campaign vetting and transparency.
- ✅ Fraud and spam shrink when identity + consent data travel with traffic.
- ✅ TSG Global guides enterprises end‑to‑end: 10DLC registration, CaaS, and TNID.
Why carriers chose the TCR
“The carriers need help… It may not do what everybody thinks it can do, but I can tell you what it did do: it put those carriers in the same playbook.”
Carriers struggled to consistently evaluate A2P senders, consent, and use cases. A neutral third party was required to avoid conflicts of interest and create uniform enforcement. TCR delivers that neutrality while preserving carrier control of routing and throughput.
Verified brand + campaign data
Auditable use‑case declarations
Cross‑carrier standardization
Higher delivery + lower spam
Further reading: Local A2P SMS • MMS Messaging • Telecom Security
What the TCR actually does
- Brand verification (Know Your Customer) and optional third‑party vetting.
- Campaign registration with clear use‑case declarations (alerts, OTP/2FA, promos).
- Data transparency for carriers/partners to audit who is sending what and why.
For hands‑on support, see 10DLC: What You Need to Know and Report a Scam Text.
Video: How the TCR Revolutionized the Telecom Industry
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Cleaned transcript (expand)
Speaker (Noah Rafalko): The carriers need help. The carriers need help. The TCR… I want to go back to that real quick, too. The reason the carriers chose the TCR is what I was told. The reason the carriers chose the TCR is because… He chose the TCR, and then everybody went with it. It doesn’t matter. Thank God—somebody… The other choice—honestly—was the better of the crappy choices. The other choice would’ve been a lockdown mentality. It would have been ten times the price—ten times the cost—for nothing. We’d be sitting here talking about that instead, saying: “What’s the value here?” And they’d create a value.
That’s why the carriers were so easily convinced to go with a startup as opposed to a bunch of incumbents. Doesn’t that say it all? Their own trash stunk so badly they couldn’t stand it anymore. They had to go outside and get something fresh—and they did. I always called it fresh milk, like going to get fresh milk.
Now everybody’s yelling at the TCR, and I’ll say one thing about the TCR: it may not do what everybody thinks it can do, but I can tell you what it did do—it put those carriers in the same playbook. Before that, there was no common opinion. “This will never get legitimized,” Verizon would say. “This will never get this…” Then slowly, you saw cracks in that thinking—which is why you saw this rush to get something out.
Source: TSG Global article & video. (Cleaned for clarity and readability.)
Traditional SMS compliance vs the TCR framework
| Area | Pre‑TCR | With TCR |
|---|---|---|
| Brand verification | Minimal, inconsistent | Required identity + optional vetting |
| Campaign definitions | Undefined/varied | Standardized use‑case registry |
| Spam protection | Manual, after‑the‑fact | Shared telemetry + enforcement |
| Carrier transparency | Opaque | Auditable senders and intents |
| Throughput | Unpredictable | Aligned to vetting/trust tiers |
How to implement TCR the right way (step‑by‑step)
- Prepare KYC: Gather legal entity info, EIN, domains, consent language. See 10DLC Registration.
- Register brand: Create your brand in TCR; enable optional vetting for better throughput.
- Register campaigns: Map each use case (OTP, alerts, promos) to a campaign with sample messages.
- Integrate: Link TCR campaigns with your CPaaS/aggregator and verify sender IDs.
- Monitor: Track delivery/blocks; keep opt‑in records; renew/update campaigns.
Need guidance? Explore Compliance as a Service or TSG Voice.
🧠 TROC (Telecom Regulatory Oversight Council) — quick answers
What is the TROC?
The TROC is a coalition addressing governance and fraud prevention in enterprise messaging—complementary to TCR’s brand/campaign registry.
How is TROC different from TCR?
TCR registers and tracks; TROC guides policy, safety, and long‑term interoperability.
Where can I learn more?
See our Resources, recent Enterprise Connect recognition, and CEO talk on blockchain + identity.
Frequently asked questions
Is TCR mandatory for U.S. A2P 10DLC traffic?
Yes—U.S. carriers require brand/campaign registration via TCR for 10DLC.
Does vetting affect throughput?
Yes—approved/vetted brands typically receive higher throughput and fewer false positives.
Can I reuse campaigns across brands?
No—campaigns are brand‑specific and must reflect actual consent and content.
Where do I start?
Begin with 10DLC: What You Need to Know and TCR registration.
Ready to simplify compliance? Talk to TSG Global about CaaS, telecom security, and TNID. Or report issues at Report a Scam Text.
Also of interest: Strategic initiative with Intrado & WMC Global • Business SMS/MMS.