Cyprus regulatory framework

OCECPR in practice: numbering, sender ID and STOP for SMS in Cyprus

The Office of the Commissioner of Electronic Communications and Postal Regulation (OCECPR) supervises Cyprus's mobile numbering plan and the obligations of A2P providers towards the four local carriers: Cyta, Epic, PrimeTel and Cablenet. 4notify delivers SMS to Cypriot (+357) numbers through a tier-1 international A2P gateway, preserving alphanumeric sender ID, automatic STOP/HELP handling and a full delivery audit trail.

The four Cyprus mobile carriers

Cyta

Prefixes: +357 99 · +357 96

Incumbent state-linked carrier (CytaHellas), market share ~45%

Closest relationship with OCECPR — typically the fastest sender ID approval (2-3 business days).

Epic

Prefixes: +357 97 · +357 95

Formerly MTN Cyprus, owned by Monaco Telecom, market share ~28%

Second-largest carrier. Conservative on alphanumeric IDs — requires commercial documentation.

PrimeTel

Prefixes: +357 96 · +357 97

Third carrier, private, strong in data + IPTV, market share ~17%

Good sender ID acceptance but slower DLR (~3-4s P50).

Cablenet

Prefixes: +357 96 · +357 95

Newest carrier (former MVNO on Cyta), now full MNO, market share ~10%

Focuses on bundle subscribers (TV+broadband+mobile). Sender ID rules same as Cyta.

Coverage and main cities

Λευκωσία / NicosiaΛεμεσός / LimassolΠάφοςΛάρνακαΑμμόχωστος

All four carriers provide >99% population coverage; differences mainly in DLR speed and sender ID approval.

OCECPR numbering plan

+357 99 xxxxxxCyta — mobile
+357 96 xxxxxxCyta / PrimeTel / Cablenet — mobile
+357 97 xxxxxxEpic / PrimeTel — mobile
+357 95 xxxxxxEpic / Cablenet — mobile
+357 22 xxxxxxNicosia — landline
+357 25 xxxxxxLimassol — landline
+357 26 xxxxxxPaphos — landline
+357 23 xxxxxxFree area Famagusta — landline
+357 24 xxxxxxLarnaca — landline

5-step OCECPR compliance flow

  1. 01

    Register the alphanumeric sender ID at the gateway

    The alphanumeric sender ID (up to 11 characters, e.g. „YourBrand") is registered once with the tier-1 A2P gateway. Commercial-use documentation is required (Cyprus Trade Mark Registry or EU TM). Cyta and Cablenet whitelist in 2-3 business days; Epic and PrimeTel in 5-7.

  2. 02

    Enable STOP/HELP keywords

    Per OCECPR guidance, every A2P sender must recognise STOP (and the variants STOP, ΣΤΟΠ, OPTOUT) and HELP (BOITHEIA, INFO). 4notify handles this automatically: the number is unsubscribed from all future campaigns and confirmed to the client via signed webhook.

  3. 03

    HLR lookup and per-operator DLR

    Before dispatch, an HLR lookup identifies the recipient's current carrier (Cyta / Epic / PrimeTel / Cablenet, factoring in ~35% portability). DLR returns a per-operator reason code — a per-operator funnel is visible in the dashboard.

  4. 04

    Compliance with Law 112(I)/2004 + Reg. 2002/58/EC

    Cyprus Electronic Communications Law 112(I)/2004 (article 106) and ePrivacy Directive 2002/58/EC require prior consent for marketing messages, with a soft opt-in exception for existing customers. 4notify maintains a per-subject consent ledger, exportable for OCECPR or CPDP inspection.

  5. 05

    Per-operator latency monitoring

    The dashboard displays live P50/P95/P99 latency per carrier. Typical values: Cyta 2.4s, Epic 2.7s, PrimeTel 2.9s, Cablenet 3.1s P50. Retry on an alternative channel (push, WhatsApp, voice) if a threshold is exceeded.

Investor data — CySEC

For regulated CIFs, client notifications (margin call, MiFID II, risk warnings) face additional CySEC oversight. 4notify's delivery audit trail is exportable for both supervisors.

See entry CY-NTF-001 →

FAQ

Which local carriers does 4notify use in Cyprus?

Not directly. 4notify delivers SMS through a tier-1 international A2P gateway, which then interconnects with Cyta, Epic, PrimeTel and Cablenet. We do not hold direct peering with the local carriers — the international gateway gives unified billing, alphanumeric sender ID and per-carrier DLR without requiring a Cyprus legal presence.

What fines does OCECPR levy on SMS spam?

Article 152 of Law 112(I)/2004 provides for fines up to €17,000 per violation. For repeated infringement the amount escalates. In parallel, the CPDP (Commissioner for Personal Data Protection) can impose GDPR fines up to 4% of global turnover.

How long does alphanumeric sender ID activation take?

Overall 2-7 business days. Cyta and Cablenet typically 2-3; Epic and PrimeTel 5-7. Required: trade-mark registration (Cyprus or EU), sample message, and declaration of use. If an active Cyprus legal presence exists, timing may be reduced.

Do Cyprus mobile numbers work across carriers (portability)?

Yes. Mobile number portability has been in force since 2003 under OCECPR oversight. Today ~35% of numbers have changed network at least once. 4notify refreshes HLR every 12 hours for live campaigns to avoid reporting „delivered" on the wrong network.

Is there a do-not-call register in Cyprus?

Not a centralised one like the Greek 11888 register. Each carrier (Cyta, Epic, PrimeTel, Cablenet) maintains its own opt-out list, but OCECPR has been considering a unified register since 2024. In the meantime, 4notify maintains an internal per-sender STOP database applied across all carriers.

What about short codes (5-digit) in Cyprus?

Short codes (e.g. 8888) are assigned by OCECPR and require a contract with a local Cypriot carrier. 4notify does not provide short codes — we focus on A2P long codes (+357) with alphanumeric sender ID, which covers 95% of business use cases without local legal presence.

What does CySEC say about investor notifications?

CySEC regulates the content of investor notifications (margin call, MiFID II re-categorisation, risk warnings) via Circular C443. 4notify provides a signed delivery receipt per dispatch, exportable for CySEC inspection. See Niologio entry CY-NTF-001.

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