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SMS Guidelines for the Dominican Republic

Understanding the SMS guidelines in the Dominican Republic is crucial for businesses aiming to optimize communication and ensure compliance. This guide covers key aspects such as two-way SMS support, number portability, message concatenation, and compliance considerations.

Two-Way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is fully supported in the Dominican Republic, enabling businesses to engage in interactive conversations with customers. This capability allows users to both send and receive SMS messages, enhancing customer engagement and support.

Number Portability

Number portability is available, allowing users to switch mobile service providers while retaining their existing phone numbers. This ensures seamless communication with customers, even if they change carriers.

Concatenated Message Support

When messages exceed the standard character limit, they can be split into smaller segments and reassembled on the recipient's device. This process, known as concatenation, is supported in the Dominican Republic. Note that the method of splitting and rejoining messages may vary based on character encoding. Certain sender ID types may not support concatenation.

MMS Support

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is not fully supported. Instead, MMS messages are converted to SMS with an embedded URL, allowing users to receive multimedia content via a link rather than directly within the message.

Sending SMS to Landline Numbers

SMS messages cannot be sent to landline numbers. Attempts to do so will result in a 400 error with code 21614, and the message will not appear in logs or incur charges.

Compliance Considerations

To ensure compliance with local regulations when sending SMS campaigns in the Dominican Republic, consider the following:

  • Opt-in Consent: Obtain explicit opt-in consent from users before sending marketing or non-essential messages.
  • Respect Local Time Zones: Send messages during the recipient's daytime hours unless urgent.
  • Support HELP/STOP Messages: Ensure SMS campaigns support HELP/STOP messages in the local language for user preference management.
  • Do-not-call Registries: Avoid contacting users listed on do-not-call or do-not-disturb registries.

By adhering to these guidelines, businesses can ensure effective and compliant SMS campaigns in the Dominican Republic.

Conclusion

The Dominican Republic offers robust support for two-way SMS and number portability, making it an attractive market for SMS-based communication. However, businesses must adhere to local regulations, particularly regarding compliance and message formatting. Following the best practices outlined here will help ensure your SMS campaigns are successful and legally compliant.

For more information on SMS regulations, visit the Dominican Republic Telecommunications Institute (INDOTEL).