Bolivia SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features

Bolivia SMS Market Overview

Market Conditions: Bolivia's mobile market is dominated by three major operators: Entel (state-owned), Tigo, and Viva (Nuevatel). SMS remains a crucial communication channel, particularly for business-to-consumer messaging. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp are popular in urban areas, SMS maintains high penetration rates across both rural and urban regions due to its reliability and universal device support. Android devices dominate the market with over 90% market share, making SMS an especially effective channel for reaching the broadest possible audience.

Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Bolivia

Bolivia supports standard SMS features including two-way messaging and message concatenation, though certain restrictions apply based on carrier and sender ID type.

Two-way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is fully supported in Bolivia across all major carriers. No special registration or additional requirements are needed to enable two-way messaging capabilities.

Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)

Support: Yes, concatenation is supported but with carrier-specific limitations.
Message length rules: Standard 160 characters for GSM-7 encoding, 70 characters for UCS-2 encoding before splitting occurs.
Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encodings are supported. Messages containing special characters automatically use UCS-2 encoding, reducing the character limit per segment.

MMS Support

MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link. This ensures compatibility across all devices and carriers while still enabling rich media content delivery through web links.

Recipient Phone Number Compatibility

Number Portability

Number portability is not available in Bolivia. This means phone numbers remain tied to their original carrier, which helps ensure more reliable message routing and delivery.

Sending SMS to Landlines

Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in Bolivia. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery with a 400 response error (code 21614), and no charges will be incurred.

Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Bolivia

SMS communications in Bolivia are regulated by the Autoridad de Regulación y Fiscalización de Telecomunicaciones y Transportes (ATT). While specific SMS marketing regulations are still evolving, businesses must follow general telecommunications guidelines and international best practices for messaging.

Consent and Opt-In

Explicit Consent Requirements:

• Written or digital confirmation required before sending marketing messages
• Clear disclosure of message frequency and content type
• Maintain detailed records of opt-in dates, sources, and methods
• Double opt-in recommended for marketing campaigns

Best Practices for Documentation:

• Store consent records for minimum of 2 years
• Include timestamp and source of opt-in
• Maintain audit trail of consent changes

HELP/STOP and Other Commands

Required Keywords:

• STOP, BAJA, NO - for opt-out requests
• AYUDA, HELP - for assistance
• All keywords must be supported in both Spanish and English
• Commands must be case-insensitive

Language Considerations:

• Primary support for Spanish required
• Consider including both Spanish and English in help messages
• Example: "Envie BAJA para cancelar/Send STOP to unsubscribe"

Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries

Bolivia does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry. However, businesses should:

• Maintain their own opt-out databases
• Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
• Share opt-out lists across campaigns and platforms
• Implement proactive filtering of known opted-out numbers

Time Zone Sensitivity

Bolivia operates in UTC-4 time zone year-round. Recommended messaging hours:

• Weekdays: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM BOT
• Weekends: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM BOT
• Exceptions: Emergency notifications and critical alerts

Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Bolivia

Alphanumeric Sender ID

Operator network capability: Partially supported

• Only Nuevatel (Viva) supports dynamic alphanumeric sender IDs
• Other carriers overwrite with numeric IDs

Registration requirements:

• Pre-registration not required
• Dynamic usage allowed only on Viva network

Sender ID preservation:

• Preserved on Viva network
• Overwritten with random shortcode on other networks

Long Codes

Domestic vs. International:

• Domestic long codes not supported
• International long codes supported with limitations

Sender ID preservation:

• No preservation on most networks
• Converted to short code or random numeric ID

Provisioning time:

• 1-2 business days for international numbers
• Immediate activation on some networks

Use cases:

• Transactional messaging
• Two-factor authentication
• Customer support communications

Short Codes

Support: Available through all major carriers Provisioning time: 8-12 weeks for dedicated short codes Use cases:

• High-volume marketing campaigns
• Premium messaging services
• Brand-specific communications

Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases

Restricted Industries:

• Gambling and betting services
• Adult content or services
• Unauthorized financial services
• Political campaigns without proper authorization
• Cryptocurrency promotions

Regulated Industries:

• Financial services require ATT approval
• Healthcare messages must comply with privacy regulations
• Educational institutions need institutional verification

Content Filtering

Known Carrier Filters:

• URLs from unknown domains
• Multiple exclamation marks
• ALL CAPS messages
• High-frequency keywords

Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:

• Use registered URL shorteners
• Maintain consistent sender IDs
• Avoid excessive punctuation
• Include clear business identifier

Best Practices for Sending SMS in Bolivia

Messaging Strategy

• Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
• Include clear call-to-action
• Use personalization tokens strategically
• Maintain consistent brand voice

Sending Frequency and Timing

• Limit to 4-5 messages per month per user
• Respect local holidays and observances
• Avoid early morning/late night sending
• Space campaigns at least 72 hours apart

Localization

• Primary content in Spanish
• Consider indigenous languages for targeted regions
• Use local date/time formats (DD/MM/YYYY)
• Account for regional language variations

Opt-Out Management

• Process opt-outs within 24 hours
• Confirm opt-out with one-time acknowledgment
• Maintain centralized opt-out database
• Regular audit of opt-out compliance

Testing and Monitoring

• Test across all major carriers (Entel, Tigo, Viva)
• Monitor delivery rates by carrier
• Track engagement metrics
• Regular A/B testing of message content

SMS API integrations for Bolivia

Twilio

Twilio provides a robust REST API for sending SMS messages to Bolivia. Authentication uses account SID and auth token credentials.

Key Parameters:

• from: Sender ID (shortcode or alphanumeric)
• to: Recipient number in E.164 format (+591XXXXXXXX)
• body: Message content (supports Unicode)

import { Twilio } from 'twilio';

// Initialize Twilio client with credentials
const client = new Twilio(
  process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID,
  process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN
);

async function sendSMSToBolivia(
  to: string,
  message: string
): Promise<void> {
  try {
    // Send message with error handling
    const response = await client.messages.create({
      body: message,
      to: to,  // Format: +591XXXXXXXX
      from: process.env.TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER,
      // Optional parameters for delivery tracking
      statusCallback: 'https://your-callback-url.com/status'
    });
    
    console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error sending message:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Sinch

Sinch offers a REST API with JWT authentication for SMS delivery to Bolivia.

Key Parameters:

• from: Sender identity
• to: Array of recipient numbers
• body: Message content
• delivery_report: Delivery status tracking

import axios from 'axios';

interface SinchSMSResponse {
  id: string;
  status: string;
}

async function sendSinchSMS(
  recipients: string[],
  message: string
): Promise<SinchSMSResponse> {
  const SINCH_API_TOKEN = process.env.SINCH_API_TOKEN;
  const SINCH_SERVICE_PLAN_ID = process.env.SINCH_SERVICE_PLAN_ID;

  try {
    const response = await axios.post(
      `https://sms.api.sinch.com/xms/v1/${SINCH_SERVICE_PLAN_ID}/batches`,
      {
        from: process.env.SINCH_SENDER_ID,
        to: recipients,
        body: message,
        delivery_report: 'summary'
      },
      {
        headers: {
          'Authorization': `Bearer ${SINCH_API_TOKEN}`,
          'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        }
      }
    );
    
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Sinch SMS Error:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

MessageBird

MessageBird provides a simple REST API for sending SMS to Bolivia with API key authentication.

Key Parameters:

• originator: Sender ID
• recipients: Array of phone numbers
• content: Message content
• reportUrl: Webhook for delivery reports

import messagebird from 'messagebird';

class MessageBirdService {
  private client: any;

  constructor(apiKey: string) {
    this.client = messagebird(apiKey);
  }

  async sendSMS(
    to: string,
    message: string
  ): Promise<any> {
    return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
      this.client.messages.create({
        originator: process.env.MESSAGEBIRD_ORIGINATOR,
        recipients: [to],
        body: message,
        // Optional parameters
        reportUrl: 'https://your-webhook.com/delivery-reports'
      }, (err: any, response: any) => {
        if (err) {
          reject(err);
        } else {
          resolve(response);
        }
      });
    });
  }
}

Plivo

Plivo offers a REST API with auth ID and token authentication for Bolivia SMS delivery.

Key Parameters:

• src: Source number/sender ID
• dst: Destination number
• text: Message content
• url: Delivery report webhook URL

import plivo from 'plivo';

class PlivoService {
  private client: any;

  constructor() {
    this.client = new plivo.Client(
      process.env.PLIVO_AUTH_ID,
      process.env.PLIVO_AUTH_TOKEN
    );
  }

  async sendSMS(
    to: string,
    message: string
  ): Promise<any> {
    try {
      const response = await this.client.messages.create({
        src: process.env.PLIVO_SOURCE_NUMBER,
        dst: to,
        text: message,
        // Optional parameters
        url: 'https://your-webhook.com/delivery-status'
      });
      
      return response;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Plivo SMS Error:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }
}

API Rate Limits and Throughput

Rate Limits:

• Twilio: 100 messages per second
• Sinch: 30 messages per second
• MessageBird: 60 messages per second
• Plivo: 50 messages per second

Throughput Management Strategies:

• Implement exponential backoff for retries
• Use message queuing systems (Redis, RabbitMQ)
• Batch messages in groups of 50-100
• Monitor delivery rates and adjust sending speed

Error Handling and Reporting

Best Practices:

• Log all API responses and errors
• Implement retry logic for temporary failures
• Monitor delivery rates by carrier
• Set up alerting for error thresholds
• Store delivery receipts for troubleshooting

Recap and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways:

• Ensure proper phone number formatting (+591)
• Implement robust error handling
• Monitor delivery rates and adjust sending patterns
• Follow local time restrictions and compliance rules

Next Steps:

1. Review ATT regulations at www.att.gob.bo
2. Consult legal counsel for compliance requirements
3. Set up test accounts with preferred SMS providers
4. Implement delivery tracking and reporting

Additional Resources:

• ATT Bolivia Telecommunications Guidelines
• Bolivia SMS Marketing Best Practices
• Technical Implementation Guides