Solomon Islands SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features

Solomon Islands SMS Market Overview

Market Conditions: The Solomon Islands has a growing mobile market with SMS remaining a crucial communication channel due to its reliability and widespread accessibility. While smartphone adoption is increasing, traditional SMS continues to be preferred for business communications and notifications due to limited internet infrastructure in rural areas.

Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands supports basic SMS functionality with concatenated messaging support, while some advanced features like two-way SMS have limitations.

Two-way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is not supported in the Solomon Islands through major SMS providers. This means businesses should design their SMS strategies around one-way communications only.

Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)

Support: Yes, concatenated messaging is fully supported in the Solomon Islands.
Message length rules: Messages are limited to 160 characters before splitting occurs.
Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encoding are supported, with UCS-2 messages limited to 70 characters per segment.

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 linked web pages.

Recipient Phone Number Compatibility

Number Portability

Number portability is not available in the Solomon Islands. This means phone numbers remain tied to their original mobile network operators, which helps ensure reliable message delivery routing.

Sending SMS to Landlines

Sending SMS to landline numbers is not possible in the Solomon Islands. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery and a 400 response error (code 21614) from SMS provider APIs.

Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Solomon Islands

The Telecommunications Commission of Solomon Islands (TCSI) oversees telecommunications regulations. While specific SMS marketing laws are limited, businesses should follow international best practices and general consumer protection guidelines.

Consent and Opt-In

Explicit Consent Required: You must obtain and document clear opt-in consent before sending marketing messages. Best practices include:

• Maintaining detailed records of how and when consent was obtained
• Using clear language explaining what messages the user will receive
• Providing transparent information about message frequency
• Implementing double opt-in for marketing campaigns

HELP/STOP and Other Commands

While not strictly required by local law, implementing standard opt-out keywords is strongly recommended:

• Support for "STOP" and "HELP" commands in English
• Consider supporting "CANCEL" and "END" as alternative opt-out keywords
• Respond promptly to opt-out requests with confirmation messages
• Support for Solomon Islands Pijin language keywords may be beneficial

Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries

The Solomon Islands does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry. However, businesses should:

• Maintain their own suppression lists
• Honor opt-out requests immediately
• Keep records of opted-out numbers for at least 12 months
• Regularly clean contact lists to remove inactive numbers

Time Zone Sensitivity

The Solomon Islands observes SBT (UTC+11). Best practices include:

• Sending messages between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM SBT
• Avoiding messages during religious holidays and Sundays
• Limiting urgent messages outside these hours to genuine emergencies

Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Solomon Islands

Alphanumeric Sender ID

Operator network capability: Supported
Registration requirements: Pre-registration not required, dynamic usage supported
Sender ID preservation: Sender IDs are generally preserved as sent

Long Codes

Domestic vs. International:

• Domestic long codes not supported
• International long codes fully supported

Sender ID preservation: Original sender ID is preserved for international long codes
Provisioning time: Typically immediate for international long codes
Use cases: Ideal for transactional messages and two-factor authentication

Short Codes

Support: Short codes are not currently supported in the Solomon Islands
Provisioning time: N/A
Use cases: N/A

Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases

The Solomon Islands maintains general content restrictions aligned with cultural and religious values:

• Gambling and betting content prohibited
• Adult content strictly forbidden
• Financial services must include clear disclaimers
• Healthcare messages must avoid medical claims

Content Filtering

Known Carrier Rules:

• Messages containing certain keywords may be blocked
• URLs should be from reputable domains
• Avoid excessive punctuation and all-caps text

Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:

• Use clear, professional language
• Avoid spam trigger words
• Include company name in messages
• Keep URLs short and recognizable

Best Practices for Sending SMS in Solomon Islands

Messaging Strategy

• Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
• Include clear call-to-actions
• Identify your business in each message
• Use personalization thoughtfully (e.g., recipient's name)

Sending Frequency and Timing

• Limit marketing messages to 2-4 per month
• Space messages at least 48 hours apart
• Respect local holidays and weekends
• Consider seasonal events and weather patterns

Localization

• Primary languages: English and Solomon Islands Pijin
• Consider bilingual messages for wider reach
• Use simple, clear language
• Respect local cultural nuances

Opt-Out Management

• Process opt-outs within 24 hours
• Send opt-out confirmation messages
• Maintain accurate opt-out records
• Regular audit of opt-out compliance

Testing and Monitoring

• Test messages across major local carriers
• Monitor delivery rates closely
• Track engagement metrics
• Regular testing of opt-out functionality

SMS API integrations for Solomon Islands

Twilio

Twilio provides reliable SMS delivery to the Solomon Islands through their REST API. Here's how to implement it:

import { Twilio } from 'twilio';

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

async function sendSMS(to: string, message: string) {
  try {
    // Format phone number to E.164 format for Solomon Islands
    const formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+677') ? to : `+677${to}`;
    
    const response = await client.messages.create({
      body: message,
      to: formattedNumber,
      from: process.env.TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER, // Your Twilio number or approved sender ID
      // Optional parameters for delivery tracking
      statusCallback: 'https://your-webhook.com/status'
    });
    
    console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);
    return response;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error sending message:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Sinch

Sinch offers comprehensive SMS capabilities for the Solomon Islands market:

import { SinchClient } from '@sinch/sdk-core';

// Initialize Sinch client
const sinchClient = new SinchClient({
  projectId: process.env.SINCH_PROJECT_ID,
  apiToken: process.env.SINCH_API_TOKEN
});

async function sendSMS(to: string, message: string) {
  try {
    const response = await sinchClient.sms.batches.send({
      sendSMSRequestBody: {
        to: [to.startsWith('+677') ? to : `+677${to}`],
        from: 'YourCompany', // Alphanumeric sender ID
        body: message,
        // Optional delivery report configuration
        deliveryReport: 'summary'
      }
    });
    
    console.log('Message batch created:', response.id);
    return response;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to send message:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

MessageBird

MessageBird provides a straightforward API for sending SMS to the Solomon Islands:

import { MessageBird } from 'messagebird';

// Initialize MessageBird client
const messagebird = new MessageBird(process.env.MESSAGEBIRD_API_KEY);

async function sendSMS(to: string, message: string): Promise<any&gt; {
  return new Promise((resolve, reject) =&gt; {
    messagebird.messages.create({
      originator: 'YourBrand',
      recipients: [to.startsWith('+677') ? to : `+677${to}`],
      body: message,
      // Optional parameters
      datacoding: 'auto', // Automatic character encoding detection
      reportUrl: 'https://your-webhook.com/delivery-reports'
    }, (err, response) =&gt; {
      if (err) {
        console.error('MessageBird error:', err);
        reject(err);
      } else {
        console.log('Message sent successfully:', response.id);
        resolve(response);
      }
    });
  });
}

Plivo

Plivo's API offers robust SMS functionality for the Solomon Islands:

import { Client } from 'plivo';

// Initialize Plivo client
const client = new Client(
  process.env.PLIVO_AUTH_ID,
  process.env.PLIVO_AUTH_TOKEN
);

async function sendSMS(to: string, message: string) {
  try {
    const response = await client.messages.create({
      src: 'YourCompany', // Your sender ID
      dst: to.startsWith('+677') ? to : `+677${to}`,
      text: message,
      // Optional parameters
      url: 'https://your-webhook.com/status',
      method: 'POST'
    });
    
    console.log('Message sent:', response.messageUuid);
    return response;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Plivo error:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

API Rate Limits and Throughput

• Standard rate limit: 30 messages per second
• Batch processing recommended for volumes over 1000/hour
• Implement exponential backoff for retry logic
• Consider time-zone based throttling during peak hours

Error Handling and Reporting

• Implement comprehensive logging for all API responses
• Monitor delivery receipts via webhooks
• Track common error codes:
  • 4xx: Client errors (invalid numbers, formatting)
  • 5xx: Server errors (retry with backoff)
• Store message metadata for troubleshooting

Recap and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways

1. Compliance Priorities

   • Obtain explicit consent
   • Honor opt-out requests immediately
   • Respect local time zones
   • Maintain clean contact lists

2. Technical Considerations

   • Always use E.164 number formatting
   • Implement proper error handling
   • Monitor delivery rates
   • Test across different carriers

3. Best Practices

   • Keep messages concise
   • Use appropriate language (English/Pijin)
   • Respect cultural considerations
   • Regular testing and monitoring

Next Steps

1. Review the Telecommunications Commission of Solomon Islands (TCSI) guidelines
2. Implement proper consent management systems
3. Set up monitoring and reporting infrastructure
4. Test thoroughly before full deployment

Additional Information

• TCSI Official Website
• Solomon Islands Telecommunications Act
• International SMS Best Practices Guide