The Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) has issued a detailed analysis of the recent Ofcom consultation, “Combatting Mobile Messaging Scams,” which proposes mandatory new rules and guidance for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and business messaging aggregators operating in the UK. The consultation, published on 29 October 2025, aims to protect UK citizens and businesses from financial and emotional harm caused by mass-scale mobile messaging scams.

Key Proposals and Industry Impact:

The proposals target both Person-to-Person (P2P) and Application-to-Person (A2P) traffic, introducing significant new obligations.

• For MNOs: New rules focus on disrupting P2P fraud, primarily by setting volume limits for new Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG) SIM cards and mandating high-performance, real-time blocking systems for malicious numbers and content.
• For Aggregators and CPaaS Providers (A2P): This segment faces the highest operational costs. New obligations include mandatory upfront and ongoing Know Your Customer (KYC)/Know Your Traffic (KYT) checks that mirror compliance standards traditionally reserved for financial institutions.
• Technical Challenge: Providers must implement Alphanumeric Sender ID verification and corroboration. This requires sophisticated systems to verify that a business’s claimed identity aligns with its message content, elevating fraud detection to complex contextual monitoring.

Strategic Significance:

The UK consultation is seen as a major, non-US precedent for mandated identity verification in A2P messaging, establishing a formidable blueprint for other global regulators.

The deadline for submitting formal responses to Ofcom is 28 January 2026. MEF is coordinating a unified industry response and encourages members to submit technical and operational input by 14 January 2026 to help shape the final rules and ensure they are technically feasible and proportionate.