New Caledonia (France) SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features

New Caledonia (France) SMS Market Overview

Market Conditions: New Caledonia's telecommunications market is dominated by the Office des Postes et T??l??communications (OPT-NC), which serves as the primary mobile operator. As a French territory, the market follows French telecommunications standards while maintaining its unique characteristics. SMS remains a crucial communication channel, particularly for business communications and authentication services, though OTT messaging apps are gaining popularity among personal users.

Key SMS Features and Capabilities in New Caledonia

New Caledonia supports standard SMS features with some limitations, following French telecommunications infrastructure while maintaining territory-specific requirements.

Two-way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is not supported in New Caledonia through most providers. This means businesses should design their SMS strategies around one-way communications such as notifications, alerts, and marketing messages.

Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)

Support: Yes, concatenated messages are supported for most sender ID types, though support may vary by carrier.
Message length rules: Standard SMS length limits apply - 160 characters for GSM-7 encoding, 70 characters for Unicode.
Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encodings are supported, with messages automatically split and rejoined based on the encoding used.

MMS Support

MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link. This ensures compatibility across all devices while still allowing rich media content to be shared through a web-based interface.

Recipient Phone Number Compatibility

Number Portability

Number portability is not available in New Caledonia. This simplifies message routing as numbers remain tied to their original carrier.

Sending SMS to Landlines

Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in New Caledonia. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a 400 response with error code 21614, and the message will not be delivered or charged to the account.

Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in New Caledonia (France)

As a French territory, New Caledonia falls under both GDPR and French telecommunications regulations. The Office des Postes et T??l??communications (OPT-NC) oversees local telecommunications, while ARCEP (Autorit?? de R??gulation des Communications ??lectroniques et des Postes) provides broader regulatory oversight.

Consent and Opt-In

Explicit Consent Requirements:

• Written consent must be obtained before sending marketing messages
• Consent must be freely given, specific, and informed
• Documentation of consent must be maintained and easily accessible
• Purpose of messaging must be clearly stated at opt-in

HELP/STOP and Other Commands

• All marketing messages must include clear opt-out instructions
• Standard keywords must be supported:
  • STOP, ARRET, END, CANCEL, UNSUBSCRIBE, QUIT
• Both French and English commands should be honored
• Response messages should be in the same language as the opt-out request

Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries

While New Caledonia doesn't maintain a separate Do Not Call registry, businesses must:

• Maintain their own suppression lists
• Honor opt-out requests immediately
• Remove numbers from all marketing lists within 24 hours of request
• Regularly clean contact lists to remove inactive or opted-out numbers

Time Zone Sensitivity

• Observe New Caledonia Time (NCT, UTC+11)
• Follow French marketing restrictions:
  • No marketing SMS between 10 PM and 8 AM
  • Avoid sending on Sundays and French public holidays
• Messages sent during restricted times will be queued for next available window

Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in New Caledonia (France)

Alphanumeric Sender ID

Operator network capability: Supported
Registration requirements: No pre-registration required, dynamic usage allowed
Sender ID preservation: Sender IDs are generally preserved as sent

Long Codes

Domestic vs. International:

• Domestic long codes: Supported but not available through most providers
• International long codes: Available with restrictions

Sender ID preservation: Yes, original sender ID is preserved
Provisioning time: 1-2 business days for international numbers
Use cases: Ideal for transactional messages and two-factor authentication

Short Codes

Support: Not currently supported in New Caledonia
Provisioning time: N/A
Use cases: N/A

Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases

Restricted Industries:

• Gambling and betting services
• Adult content or services
• Cryptocurrency promotions
• Unauthorized financial services

Regulated Industries:

• Banking and financial services require additional compliance
• Healthcare messages must maintain patient privacy
• Insurance services must include regulatory disclaimers

Content Filtering

Known Carrier Rules:

• URLs should be from approved domains
• Avoid excessive capitalization
• Limited use of special characters
• No embedded images or rich media

Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:

• Use clear, consistent sender IDs
• Maintain consistent sending patterns
• Avoid URL shorteners where possible
• Keep content professional and relevant

Best Practices for Sending SMS in New Caledonia (France)

Messaging Strategy

• Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
• Include clear call-to-actions
• Personalize messages using recipient's name or relevant details
• Maintain consistent branding across messages

Sending Frequency and Timing

• Limit marketing messages to 2-4 per month per recipient
• Respect local business hours (8 AM - 6 PM NCT)
• Consider local events and holidays
• Space out bulk sends to avoid network congestion

Localization

• Primary languages: French (required) and local Kanak languages
• Consider bilingual messages for important communications
• Use appropriate date formats (DD/MM/YYYY)
• Respect cultural sensitivities and local customs

Opt-Out Management

• Process opt-outs in real-time
• Maintain centralized opt-out database
• Confirm opt-outs with acknowledgment message
• Regular audit of opt-out compliance

Testing and Monitoring

• Test messages across major device types
• Monitor delivery rates and engagement metrics
• Track opt-out rates and patterns
• Regular review of message performance analytics

SMS API integrations for New Caledonia (France)

Twilio

Twilio provides robust SMS capabilities for New Caledonia through their REST API. Authentication uses your Account SID and Auth Token.

import * as Twilio from 'twilio';

// Initialize Twilio client with environment variables
const client = new Twilio(
  process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID,    // Your Account SID
  process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN      // Your Auth Token
);

// Function to send SMS to New Caledonia
async function sendSMSToNewCaledonia(
  to: string,
  message: string,
  senderId: string
) {
  try {
    // Format phone number for New Caledonia (+687)
    const formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+687') ? to : `+687${to}`;
    
    const response = await client.messages.create({
      body: message,
      from: senderId,         // Alphanumeric sender ID or Twilio number
      to: formattedNumber,
      // Optional parameters for delivery tracking
      statusCallback: 'https://your-webhook.com/status'
    });
    
    console.log(`Message sent! SID: ${response.sid}`);
    return response;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error sending message:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Sinch

Sinch offers SMS services through their REST API with OAuth2 authentication.

import axios from 'axios';

class SinchSMSService {
  private readonly apiToken: string;
  private readonly serviceId: string;
  private readonly baseUrl = 'https://sms.api.sinch.com/xms/v1';

  constructor(apiToken: string, serviceId: string) {
    this.apiToken = apiToken;
    this.serviceId = serviceId;
  }

  async sendSMS(to: string, message: string) {
    try {
      const response = await axios.post(
        `${this.baseUrl}/${this.serviceId}/batches`,
        {
          from: 'YourBrand',  // Alphanumeric sender ID
          to: [to],           // Array of recipient numbers
          body: message,
          delivery_report: 'summary'
        },
        {
          headers: {
            'Authorization': `Bearer ${this.apiToken}`,
            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
          }
        }
      );
      
      return response.data;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Sinch SMS Error:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }
}

Bird

Bird's API provides SMS capabilities with API key authentication.

import axios from 'axios';

interface BirdSMSConfig {
  apiKey: string;
  workspaceId: string;
  channelId: string;
}

class BirdSMSService {
  private readonly config: BirdSMSConfig;
  
  constructor(config: BirdSMSConfig) {
    this.config = config;
  }

  async sendSMS(phoneNumber: string, messageText: string) {
    const url = `https://api.bird.com/workspaces/${this.config.workspaceId}/channels/${this.config.channelId}/messages`;
    
    try {
      const response = await axios.post(
        url,
        {
          receiver: {
            contacts: [{
              identifierValue: phoneNumber
            }]
          },
          body: {
            type: 'text',
            text: {
              text: messageText
            }
          }
        },
        {
          headers: {
            'Authorization': `AccessKey ${this.config.apiKey}`,
            'Content-Type': 'application/json'
          }
        }
      );
      
      return response.data;
    } catch (error) {
      console.error('Bird SMS Error:', error);
      throw error;
    }
  }
}

API Rate Limits and Throughput

• Default rate limits: 100 messages per second
• Batch processing recommended for large volumes
• Implement exponential backoff for retry logic
• Queue messages during restricted hours

Throughput Management Strategies:

• Implement message queuing system
• Use batch APIs when available
• Monitor delivery rates and adjust sending speed
• Implement circuit breakers for error handling

Error Handling and Reporting

Common Error Scenarios:

• Invalid phone numbers
• Network timeouts
• Rate limit exceeded
• Invalid sender ID

Logging Best Practices:

interface SMSLogEntry {
  messageId: string;
  timestamp: Date;
  recipient: string;
  status: string;
  errorCode?: string;
  errorMessage?: string;
}

class SMSLogger {
  async logMessage(entry: SMSLogEntry) {
    // Implement logging logic
    console.log(JSON.stringify(entry));
    // Store in database or logging service
  }
}

Recap and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways:

• Always format numbers with +687 prefix
• Implement proper error handling and logging
• Follow French GDPR compliance requirements
• Respect local business hours and holidays

Next Steps:

1. Review OPT-NC regulations at www.opt.nc
2. Consult ARCEP guidelines for French territories
3. Implement proper consent management
4. Set up monitoring and reporting systems

Additional Resources:

• OPT-NC Telecommunications Guidelines: www.opt.nc/guidelines
• ARCEP Regulatory Framework: www.arcep.fr
• French Data Protection Authority (CNIL): www.cnil.fr
• Local Business Hours and Holidays: www.gouv.nc