Who is responsible for what?

The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM)

  • grants mobile telephony operators approval to manage and allocate short numbers

What OFCOM cannot do

  • intervene in the event of disagreement regarding the amount of a bill
  • actively support citizens in their steps to dispute a bill
  • directly revoke short numbers
  • intervene if the regulations in question do not fall within its area of responsibility
  • assess the content of services provided via short number services in relation to legal compliance, quality or value for money
  • rule on issues that fall under civil or criminal law

The role of your mobile telephony operator

  • Mobile telephony operators assign short numbers
  • Your mobile telephony operator transmits the content and bills you for SMS/MMS services. The mobile telephony operator receives a certain share of the billed amount for its transmission and collection activities.
  • They are also responsible for responding to your questions or complaints.
  • They must publish the names and addresses of holders of short numbers they have allocated for SMS and MMS services.
  • They must make available to the public the deactivation code for any previously activated chargeable SMS/MMS service.
  • The mobile telephony operators have drawn up and signed a code of conduct in which STOP (+ name of the service, if necessary) is identified as a deactivation code.
  • They use the ranges of short numbers 6xx for SMS and MMS services exclusively for offering adult entertainment services and verify that these services are only offered on these numbers.

The role of number holders (and content providers)

  • Short number holders have been allocated the use of a short number by a mobile telephony operator. Holders and content providers are responsible for complying with legal regulations.
  • They must ensure that the deactivation code is communicated with every SMS or MMS within the framework of the subscription, either directly in the message or in another free SMS.

Dispute resolution service ombudscom

The dispute resolution service mediates between customers and Swiss telecommunications service providers / added-value service providers in private law disputes that cannot be satisfactorily resolved between the two parties.

Specialist staff
Last modification 01.07.2015

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