What does the two-letter prefix in all of these SMS messages mean?

What does the two-letter prefix in all of these SMS messages mean?

We all receive numerous messages on our mobile phones every day but have you ever wondered what the two characters before the six-letter sender Id mean? Continue reading this article if you haven’t already noticed that.

What exactly are the SMS Sender ID prefixes ?

The two characters placed in front of the Sender ID are known as Prefix. For example, if you receive an SMS from JM-MAMERT, then in this message ID is the prefix. The first character of the prefix denotes the operator and the second character denotes the location from which it has been received. In the above example of JM-MAMERT, J is the operator Jio and M denotes the location, Mumbai.

According to the TRAI( Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ) rules, Sender ID should be only 6 characters, not less and not more. The prefix is mandatory but it is not decided by the SMS Service Provider from which you have purchased Bulk SMS. These prefixes are automatically set by the operator based on the location and operator region.

Example: If an SMS comes like BZ-PAYTMB, then BZ is the prefix here and B denotes the operator that is BSNL and Z denotes the location which is Maharashtra.

Sender ID makes your SMS look professional and contributes to adding value to your brand. Sending Bulk SMS with a sender ID of your brand is a great way to improve its goodwill and create a brand

Let’s examine the code for the telecom operator and its locations now. You can also find the list on TRAI’s official site.

Telecom Operator Name and Prefix

Sr.	Telecom Operator Name	Prefix to be Used
1	Airtel	A
2	BSNL	B
3	Aircel, Dishnet Wireless	D
4	BPL Mobile/Loop Telecom	L
5	MTNL	M
6	Idea Cellular	I
7	HFCL Infotel	H
8	Datacom Solutions	C
9	Reliance Communications	R
10	Reliance Telecom	E
11	S tel	S
12	Spice Telecom	P
13	Tata Teleservices	T
14	Unitech	U
15	Vodafone	v
16	Videocon	Q
17	Jio	J

Location and Prefix 

Sr.	Location of Telecom Operator	Prefix to be Used
1	Andhra Pradesh	A
2	Assam	S
3	Bihar	B
4	Delhi	D
5	Gujarat	G
6	Haryana	H
7	Himachal Pradesh	I
8	Jammu & Kashmir	J
9	Karnataka	X
10	Kerala	L
11	Kolkata	K
12	Madhya Pradesh (& Chhattisgarh)	Y
13	Maharashtra (& Goa)	Z
14	Mumbai	M
15	North East India	N
16	Orissa	O
17	Punjab	P
18	Rajasthan	R
19	Tamil Nadu (incl. Chennai)	T
20	UP East	E
21	UP West	W
22	West Bengal	V

We hope that now you all are clear about the prefix concept that is used in front of the sender Id.