How do you ensure that your customer service numbers are compliant?

When your company is active in multiple countries, you probably think that telephony is the same everywhere. Request a number and go. Unfortunately, the rules, laws and telecom infrastructures often differ per country. Also within Europe. So there are several things to take into account to prevent your number from being disconnected.

Every country has its own National Regulatory Authority (NRA), or regulator, which monitors various laws and regulations, including telecommunications.If you provide products or services in a new country and need a telephone number for this, the number and your company must be registered with the supervisory authority of that country.

You don’t always have to arrange the registration yourself. Often the provider of the number will arrange the registration for you. In recent years, verification of corporate identity (KYC) and local address (LAR) is required for registration in more and more countries. The business entity (KYC – Know Your Customer) involves proof and verification that the company is who it claims to be, from a consumer protection perspective.

The address verification concerns the business address (LAR – Local Address Requirements), i.e. the company actually has a branch in the specific country. This verification is often accompanied by checking the ID of the person responsible for the branch. This stems from the EU Electronic Communications Code (EECC) and is intended to prevent fraud, identity theft and other illegal activities.

When a provider arranges this registration for your company, a written authorization must also be issued (Letter of Authorization). This gives the provider permission to act on behalf of your company in the field of telecommunications. This includes activating new telephone numbers and porting.

It may sound like a formality, but these registrations are regularly checked and audited. If the supervisor encounters inaccuracies, hefty fines will be imposed and/or your numbers will be unceremoniously disconnected, making you unreachable by telephone.

It is therefore important that these registrations are arranged correctly and often quickly. Some documents must be submitted within 48 hours of application or the application will be terminated. Therefore, make sure that your provider is well aware of these rules and procedures and is preferably registered as a notified operator. This way you minimize the chance of problems.

Are you unsure whether your numbers are registered correctly or are you looking for a notified operator? Then Sound of Data is the right provider for you. We are active for various customers in European countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. And also a notified operator in and compliant with various other countries. Please feel free to contact us for more information.