Grenada SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features

Grenada SMS Market Overview

Market Conditions: Grenada has a growing mobile market with increasing SMS adoption for both personal and business communications. The telecommunications sector is dominated by major Caribbean operators like Flow (Cable & Wireless) and Digicel. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp are popular among smartphone users, SMS remains crucial for business communications and notifications due to its reliability and universal reach across both feature phones and smartphones.

Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Grenada

Grenada offers basic SMS functionality with some limitations on advanced features like two-way messaging and concatenation.

Two-way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is not supported in Grenada. This means businesses cannot receive replies from customers through the same SMS platform used for sending messages. Alternative communication channels should be provided for customer responses.

Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)

Support: Concatenated messages are not supported in Grenada.
Message length rules: Messages must adhere to standard SMS character limits (160 characters for GSM-7 encoding, 70 characters for Unicode).
Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encodings are supported, but messages must remain within single-message length limits.

MMS Support

MMS messages are not directly supported in Grenada. Instead, when attempting to send MMS, the message is automatically converted to an SMS containing a URL link where recipients can view the multimedia content. This ensures that users can still access images, videos, or other media while working within the SMS infrastructure limitations.

Recipient Phone Number Compatibility

Number Portability

Number portability is not available in Grenada. This means mobile numbers remain tied to their original carrier, which can affect contact list management when users switch providers.

Sending SMS to Landlines

Sending SMS to landline numbers is not possible in Grenada. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a 400 error response with error code 21614. These messages will not appear in logs, and accounts will not be charged for failed attempts.

Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Grenada

SMS communications in Grenada are regulated under the Telecommunications Act, with oversight from the National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (NTRC). While specific SMS marketing regulations are still evolving, businesses must follow general telecommunications and consumer protection guidelines.

Consent and Opt-In

Explicit Consent Requirements:

• Obtain clear, documented opt-in consent before sending any marketing messages
• Maintain detailed records of how and when consent was obtained
• Include clear terms of service and privacy policy information during opt-in
• Specify the type and frequency of messages users will receive

Best practices for documenting consent:

• Store timestamp and source of opt-in
• Keep records of the specific campaign or service the user subscribed to
• Maintain audit trails of consent changes
• Regularly update and verify consent records

HELP/STOP and Other Commands

While Grenada doesn't have specific HELP/STOP requirements, implementing these standard commands is considered best practice:

• STOP: Must be honored immediately for all opt-out requests
• HELP: Should provide information about the service and support contact details
• INFO: Should return details about message frequency and costs

All commands should be processed in English, as it is the primary language in Grenada.

Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries

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

• Maintain their own suppression lists
• Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
• Regularly clean contact lists to remove unengaged users
• Implement internal do-not-contact databases

Time Zone Sensitivity

Grenada follows Atlantic Standard Time (AST/UTC-4). Best practices for message timing:

• Send messages between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM AST
• Avoid sending during national holidays
• Only send outside these hours for urgent messages (e.g., security alerts)
• Consider religious and cultural observances

Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Grenada

Alphanumeric Sender ID

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

Long Codes

Domestic vs. International:

• Domestic long codes are not supported
• International long codes are available for SMS messaging

Sender ID preservation: Original sender IDs are typically preserved
Provisioning time: 24-48 hours for international long codes
Use cases: Ideal for transactional messages and customer support

Short Codes

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

Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases

Restricted Industries and Content:

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

Content Filtering

Carrier Filtering Rules:

• Messages containing certain keywords may be blocked
• URLs from unknown domains may trigger spam filters
• High-volume sending from new numbers may be throttled

Tips to Avoid Blocking:

• Use consistent sender IDs
• Maintain regular sending patterns
• Avoid common spam trigger words
• Include clear opt-out instructions
• Use approved URL shorteners

Best Practices for Sending SMS in Grenada

Messaging Strategy

• Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
• Include clear calls-to-action
• Personalize messages using recipient's name or preferences
• Maintain consistent branding across messages

Sending Frequency and Timing

• Limit marketing messages to 2-4 per month per recipient
• Space out messages to avoid overwhelming users
• Consider local events and holidays in Grenada
• Monitor engagement rates to optimize timing

Localization

• Use English as the primary language
• Avoid local slang unless appropriate for your audience
• Consider cultural sensitivities in message content
• Use clear, simple language

Opt-Out Management

• Process opt-outs immediately
• Send confirmation of opt-out completion
• Maintain opt-out lists across all campaigns
• Regular audit of opt-out compliance

Testing and Monitoring

• Test messages across major carriers (Flow, Digicel)
• Monitor delivery rates and engagement metrics
• Track opt-out rates and reasons
• Regular review of message performance analytics

SMS API integrations for Grenada

Twilio

Twilio provides a robust SMS API for sending messages to Grenada. Integration requires an account SID and auth token for authentication.

Key Parameters:

• from: Your Twilio phone number or alphanumeric sender ID
• to: Recipient number in E.164 format (+1473XXXXXXX)
• body: Message content (160 characters recommended)

import { Twilio } from 'twilio';

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

async function sendSMSToGrenada(
  to: string,
  message: string
): Promise<void> {
  try {
    // Send message
    const response = await client.messages.create({
      body: message,
      to: to,  // Format: +1473XXXXXXX
      from: process.env.TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER,
      // Optional statusCallback URL for delivery updates
      statusCallback: 'https://your-webhook.com/status'
    });

    console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error sending message:', error);
  }
}

Sinch

Sinch offers a straightforward API for SMS delivery to Grenada, using API token authentication.

Key Parameters:

• from: Sender ID or phone number
• to: Array of recipient numbers
• body: Message content

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

const sinchClient = new SinchClient({
  servicePlanId: process.env.SINCH_SERVICE_PLAN_ID,
  apiToken: process.env.SINCH_API_TOKEN
});

async function sendBatchSMS(
  recipients: string[],
  message: string
): Promise<void> {
  try {
    const response = await sinchClient.sms.batches.send({
      sendSMSRequestBody: {
        to: recipients,  // Array of numbers in E.164 format
        from: 'YourCompany',
        body: message,
        delivery_report: 'summary'
      }
    });

    console.log(`Batch ID: ${response.id}`);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to send batch:', error);
  }
}

MessageBird

MessageBird provides a reliable SMS API with support for Grenada destinations.

Key Parameters:

• originator: Sender ID (alphanumeric or number)
• recipients: Array of recipient numbers
• content: Message content

import { MessageBird } from 'messagebird';

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

async function sendMessageBirdSMS(
  to: string[],
  message: string
): Promise<void> {
  const params = {
    originator: 'YourBrand',
    recipients: to,
    content: {
      type: 'text',
      text: message
    }
  };

  try {
    const response = await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
      messagebird.messages.create(params, (err, response) => {
        if (err) reject(err);
        resolve(response);
      });
    });

    console.log('Message sent successfully:', response);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to send message:', error);
  }
}

API Rate Limits and Throughput

• Default rate limit: 100 messages per second
• Batch processing recommended for large volumes
• Implement exponential backoff for retry logic

Batch Processing Strategy:

async function sendBatchWithRetry(
  messages: Message[],
  maxRetries: number = 3
): Promise<void> {
  const batchSize = 50;
  const delay = (ms: number) => new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, ms));

  for (let i = 0; i < messages.length; i += batchSize) {
    const batch = messages.slice(i, i + batchSize);
    let retries = 0;

    while (retries < maxRetries) {
      try {
        await sendBatch(batch);
        break;
      } catch (error) {
        retries++;
        if (retries === maxRetries) throw error;
        await delay(Math.pow(2, retries) * 1000);
      }
    }
  }
}

Error Handling and Reporting

Implement comprehensive error handling and logging:

interface SMSError {
  code: string;
  message: string;
  timestamp: Date;
  recipient: string;
}

class SMSLogger {
  static logError(error: SMSError): void {
    console.error(JSON.stringify({
      ...error,
      service: 'sms',
      environment: process.env.NODE_ENV
    }));
    // Add your preferred logging service here
  }

  static async retryFailedMessages(
    errors: SMSError[]
  ): Promise<void> {
    // Implement retry logic
  }
}

Recap and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways

1. Compliance Priorities:

   • Obtain explicit consent
   • Honor opt-out requests
   • Maintain proper documentation

2. Technical Best Practices:

   • Use E.164 number formatting
   • Implement proper error handling
   • Monitor delivery rates

3. Next Steps:

   • Review NTRC regulations
   • Set up monitoring systems
   • Test with small volumes first

Additional Resources

• National Telecommunications Regulatory Commission
• Grenada Telecommunications Act
• Caribbean Telecommunications Union

Contact Information:

• NTRC Support: +1 473-435-6872
• Technical Assistance: [email protected]