Cambodia’s telecom regulator standardises mobile SMS notifications

Service alerts now cover balances, plans, roaming and outages

The guideline requires operators to send messages at several points in the life of a mobile account. These include SIM activation, successful top-ups, plan or service subscriptions and cancellations, automatic renewals, failed subscriptions or renewals, and approaching expiry dates.

Users must also be notified when 90% and 100% of a data, voice, SMS or main-account allowance has been used. The same thresholds apply while roaming internationally. Roaming messages are expected to include key information such as activation or deactivation and standard voice and data charges.

TRC also includes notifications for temporary suspension or permanent termination of a number, responses to short-code requests, and planned or unplanned service disruption. Service SMS must be provided in Khmer and/or another language selected by the customer at initial SIM registration. The guideline does not list which additional languages each operator must offer, nor does it set a separate later implementation date.

For practical context, see Cambodia economy and finance. This development also connects with Cambodia Enacts 24-Month Military Service for Men Aged 18–25.

Advertising texts have a time window and must offer an opt-out

Commercial SMS may only be sent between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM. They must be kept separate from service notifications and clearly marked as “Advertisement”; third-party advertising sent through an operator’s network must identify the sender.

Every advertising message must also give users a way to continue or stop receiving such texts, with short code 1204 named by TRC as one possible method. For residents who rely on a Cambodian SIM for banking, work or day-to-day services, the distinction makes it easier to tell a routine promotion from a message that could affect connectivity, account validity or roaming costs.