General Questions
Should I be using SMPP?
The SMPP API is on a contract basis with minimum volume commitments. If you are considering reselling or aggregating SMS services then SMPP is a strong choice especially if you don't want to be developing bespoke code to work alongside the Bulletin API
What's the difference between NUR and NRCV status codes?
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NUR generally means that the number is not routable and is likely to be of an incorrect format or invalid number. The number needs to be confirmed as being of valid format and could be tried again but is likely to fail again unless it is changed.
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NRCV indicates that a (most likely) temporary delivery issue has occurred within the carrier network and that it could be tried again. A retry is recommended after a short delay and may work even without changes in the number submitted.
Why do Messages Expire?
Message may not be delivered for a number of reasons including:
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Phone is turned off.
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Phone is out of range.
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Phone is in flight mode.
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Phone is unable to accept SMS (mail box full).
When this occurs the carrier may return an "EXP" status to Bulletin which will be passed on to you.
What will happen if we send a premium MT to an account that is out of credit?
This will result in the status code NRCV being returned.
Does New Zealand support porting? If so, how can I identify the correct operator?
Bulletin SMPP will route according to the current IPMS database and will return Delivery Notifications on messages as per usual.
While the database is updated every day, the migration of users from one carrier to another can take several days.
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Security
Would it be possible to establish a SMPP bind over a VPN connection?
Yes. There are two options available to add security to your SMPP connection:
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Binding over a VPN connection is possible but would incur additional setup and ongoing connection fees.
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We are able to provide a SSL/TLS proxy onto the SMPP link (think of it as the equivalent of http vs https) if you are able to support it.
Option 2 would have the lower overhead and costs.
Credentials
How do I get the values for the 'user' and 'password' fields?
Your user ID and password will be provided after you apply for a Connection. If you need further assistance please Contact Support.
Does the password expire?
No, your password will not expire.
How can we request a new password?
Contact Support with your UserID. We may need to verify your identity before we can process this request and we will need to liaise with you so that no loss of service occurs. Once the password is changed on Bulletin SMPP the previous password will no longer work.
Does the username expire?
No. The username is your primary Identity in the Bulletin SMPP system. If you need a new ID then costs may apply. Contact Support for assistance.
Benefits and Restrictions
How Many Messages can be sent per minute?
The SMPP connection supports 800 messages per minute.
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Bulletin Connect must not be used for unsolicited SPAM or marketing messages. Users that do so may have the service restricted or cut off. Download the NZ Unsolicited Electronic Messages Legislation and ensure your service and procedures adhere to this Act. Users residing in other countries or sending messages to other countries (outside of NZ) must ensure that they comply with all applicable local laws. |
How does Bulletin SMPP handle Mobile Number Portability in New Zealand?
Mobile Number Portability (MNP) was introduced in New Zealand in April 2007. MNP allows mobiles to change networks while retaining their phone number.
Bulletin SMPP receives a file each day, which contains details of numbers that have ported. This file is provided by a third party working in association with the carriers and it generally takes 2-3 days for a ported number to appear in this file after a number has changed networks. During the short time between the handset changing networks and us being told of the change, the handset will not receive messages from Bulletin SMPP.
Any long term issues with ported numbers should be raised with Bulletin.
More than simple SMS
Can I send Multipart messages over SMPP
?
Yes, the Bulletin SMPP platform supports multipart (concatenated) SMS messages.
Does Bulletin SMPP support the following content?
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Content Type |
Supported |
|---|---|
| PlainText | Yes |
| Unicode | Yes |
| Mono Ringtone | No |
| Imelody | No |
| Operator Logo | No |
| MMS | No |
Billing
When is a message billed to my account?
Not all carriers can provide good status information, and many charge for attempted message delivery. Bulletin reserves the right to charge for all messages we submit to the carriers. This means if the carrier is unable to deliver the message or rejects the message the cost is already incurred.
Your contract may include provision for an alternative arrangement if you deliver to supported networks.
How can I tell if an MT message has been billed?
RCV status indicates the message was received on the handset and that would indicate that the carriers are most likely going to bill for it. However, while the billing completion rate for NZ is quite high (about 98% for these types of SMS services pushed through our connections) a RCV does not always mean that the carrier can bill and collect for it and therefore RCV is not a 100% guarantee of billing and revenue share.
Recipient Issues
You send one message but your recipient receives the same message repeatedly
This is rare but it does occur when the there is a communication glitch between the recipients handset and their network, that stops the phone from acknowledging that it has received the SMS.
When this happens the carrier continues to attempt to deliver the same message (as per its store and forward procedures) until it receives an acknowledgment from the phone. This situation results in multiple messages on the handset if the handset does not acknowledge properly (if they all have the same sender number and you are not using short codes then this is probably the situation).
We have found that doing a hard restart of the phone fixes the issue. The recipient should simply pull the battery from the handset, wait a few seconds, reinsert the battery and power the handset up again.
More Information
Where can I get a copy of the 'service rules'?
You can request a copy of the Service Rules here. As these are dictated by mobile network providers, they are subject to change.
Please provide an email address that they can be sent to and that any changes can be notified to in the future.
Does Bulletin offer Carrier Lookup functionality?
Bulletin subscribes to the Ported Number Database and uses this to route messages. This is not exposed to third parties as per conditions of use so can only be used for routing and not for look-up purposes.