Regulators across the world (e.g. in France, UK, China, Australia, U.S…) have updated numbering rules to combat fraud, mitigate robocalling, protect end users and ensure efficient use of numbering resources. These new regulations have significant implications for operators and enterprises – they must change how they manage numbering resources.
Additionally, transactional traffic is experiencing unprecedented growth. Modern platforms rely on multichannel communication across Voice, SMS, RCS, Chat apps and push notifications. This creates significant challenge for CPaaS providers as they need to manage multiple channels with a dual expertise in Voice and SMS.
Here we are Focusing on France, we explain how the constantly updated regulations make compliance particularly demanding. We also explain how your operations teams will ensure compliance and maintain call authentication and certification.
The highest service demand from delivery platforms, marketplaces, ride-hailing services, and AI-driven apps require innovative dual mode transaction numbers, with both Voice and SMS session (Time2Chat).
LATEST REGULATORY CHANGES AND THEIR IMPACT ON OPERATORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS
Direct ownership of French numbers is now mandatory
As sub-allocation is ending, any provider offering French numbers must own numbers directly or use ported‑in numbers,. This eliminates a long chain of intermediaries and ensures full traceability, simpler fraud mitigation, clear accountability for number use.
Cloud providers must now rely on a local partner to be registered as a French operator —adding complexity and operational overhead.
MAN End‑to‑End Call certification/Authentication becomes mandatory
Similar to the U.S. STIR/SHAKEN framework, France has reinforced caller ID authentication through mandatory MAN implementation (Number Authentication Mechanism), for ensuring Caller ID legitimacy, preservation of authentication data along the call path and use of numbers authorized by the rightful holder.
CPaaS and platform providers must delegate signing on their own numbers to appropriate partners to enforce them across all voice and authentication use cases.
International calls using French mobile CLIs must be anonymized
Following widely shared ambition to mitigate spoofing, ARCEP requires anonymization since January 1st, 2026 on any international call presenting a French Mobile number or any number lacking sufficient authentication. Soon all national non-authenticated French numbers will be anonymized.
French non-authenticated A-numbers must be anonymized before reaching French networks.
Routing systems must detect such scenarios in real time and automatically mask mobile CLIs when authentication cannot be preserved. CPaaS providers need intelligent routing and real-time CLI validation.
Number lifecycle management and new dedicated ranges.
ARCEP is introducing complex rules with a better optimization of under-used blocks and temporary “freezing” periods before reassignment.
Now, there are additional dedicated ranges on automated services like information services, telemarketing or transactional services.
Providers must allocate appropriate numbers dedicated to each service usage. They have to manage numbering and lifecycle constraints..
HOW TO NAVIGATE INTO SPECIFIC FRENCH REGULATION RULES
The specific French operational and authentication rules require careful implementation, particularly across cloud infrastructures, multi‑channel platforms, and high‑volume transactional services.
A fully compliant hosting solution for France
iBASIS provides a robust, fully regulation compliant hosting solution that meets all requirements, direct number ownership, support for ported numbers, full MAN end‑to‑end certification, Caller ID authorization management, Real‑time enforcement and fraud protection. iBASIS has a real expertise on all voice ranges flavors and trendy innovation like SMS Chat session transactions services.
Learn how iBASIS can manage these operational complexities for you. Download our informative overview, learn more about specific capabilities and implementation considerations.