Connecting Twilio phone numbers: buying, porting, and A2P 10DLC

Every Deskwise account needs at least one phone number — it's where the agent picks up calls and texts. We use Twilio under the hood because Twilio's network is the most reliable for SMS deliverability in the US. The basic flow is two minutes; the A2P 10DLC registration adds another five.

Buying a number

1. Settings > Numbers > Buy number
2. Pick your area code (most operators want a local presence)
3. Pick between Local (regular 10-digit) or Toll-Free. Most operators want local.
4. Confirm purchase — ~$2/month, billed to your Deskwise account
5. The number is yours immediately. Calls + texts route to the agent right away.

Porting an existing number

If you already have a business number (from Google Voice, Booksy, your old landline, or a competitor), you can port it to Twilio. Settings > Numbers > Port existing number. You'll need: the number, your current carrier name, your current account number with that carrier, your PIN if there is one, and an LOA (Letter of Authorization) form we'll generate for you to sign.

Porting takes 5-15 business days depending on the source carrier. During the wait, you can forward your existing number to a new Deskwise number so service isn't interrupted. Once the port completes, the new number is deactivated and your old number is now your Deskwise number.

What A2P 10DLC is, in plain English

A2P 10DLC stands for "Application-to-Person, 10-Digit Long Code." It's a US carrier requirement that businesses register their identity before sending bulk SMS from regular local numbers. Carriers introduced this in 2023-2024 to fight spam — unregistered numbers get throttled, filtered, or blocked entirely.

Practically: if you don't register, ~30% of your SMS won't deliver. Confirmations get dropped, dormant winback texts go silently into the void, no-show notifications never arrive. Registration solves this.

How to register (10 minutes)

1. Settings > Numbers > A2P 10DLC > Start registration
2. Enter your legal business name (matches your EIN)
3. Enter your EIN (or your SSN if you're a sole prop)
4. Business address (matches your tax filings)
5. Pick your campaign use case: Customer Care + Marketing (most operators)
6. Provide a sample text the agent might send (we pre-fill three examples)
7. Submit
8. Wait 1-3 business days for carrier approval (usually same day)

Costs

• Number rental: ~$2/month per number
• Inbound SMS: $0.0075 per message (~$0.01 in practice)
• Outbound SMS: $0.0075 per message
• Voice call: $0.013/minute
• A2P 10DLC registration: $4 one-time + $2/month brand fee + ~$10/month per campaign

All of this is included in your Deskwise subscription up to plan limits. Solo plan includes 5,000 messages/month + 1 number; Studio includes 25,000 + 3 numbers; Practice includes 100,000 + unlimited numbers. Most operators don't come anywhere near these caps.

Compliance basics

• TCPA: only text clients who've opted in. The agent gets opt-in implicitly when a client texts the number first; for proactive outreach (dormant winback), opt-in comes from the consent checkbox in your intake form.
• STOP keyword: any client texting "STOP" is opted out immediately. The agent never texts them again. This is automatic — you don't manage it.
• Quiet hours: agent respects quiet hours (default 9pm-7am local) for outbound proactive messages. Inbound replies happen 24/7.