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Mauritius SMS Guidelines: Compliance, Features, and Best Practices

Understanding the SMS guidelines in Mauritius is crucial for ensuring compliance and optimizing the effectiveness of your messaging campaigns. This guide covers essential aspects such as compliance requirements, technical features, and best practices for sending SMS in Mauritius.

Key Features of SMS in Mauritius

Two-Way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is not supported in Mauritius. You can send messages to recipients, but they cannot reply directly through the same channel.

Number Portability

Number portability, which allows users to retain their numbers when switching carriers, is unavailable in Mauritius. Users cannot transfer their numbers between different networks.

Concatenated Message Support

Mauritius supports concatenated SMS, allowing messages exceeding the standard character limit to be split and reassembled on the recipient's device. This may vary based on sender ID type and message encoding. Testing your messages is crucial to ensure proper delivery.

Message Length and Encoding

The maximum message length before splitting depends on encoding:

  • Standard GSM encoding: Up to 160 characters.
  • Unicode encoding: Up to 70 characters.

Exceeding these limits results in multiple concatenated SMS segments.

MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) Support

Mauritius does not support native MMS. Instead, MMS is converted to an SMS with an embedded URL for viewing multimedia content online.

SMS to Landline Numbers

Sending SMS to landline numbers in Mauritius is not supported. Attempting this will result in a 400 error with code 21614, and the message will not be logged or charged.

Compliance Considerations

Compliance with local regulations is vital when sending SMS in Mauritius. Here are some best practices:

  • Opt-In Consent: Obtain explicit opt-in consent before sending SMS, especially for marketing.
  • Respect Daytime Hours: Send messages only during local daytime hours unless urgent.
  • Support HELP/STOP Commands: Ensure campaigns can handle these messages in the local language.
  • Do-Not-Call Registries: Avoid sending SMS to numbers on do-not-call or do-not-disturb lists.

For comprehensive legal guidance, consult with legal counsel to ensure adherence to all applicable laws.

Conclusion

Adhering to SMS guidelines in Mauritius is essential for running successful and compliant campaigns. While two-way SMS and number portability are unavailable, features like concatenated messages and MMS-to-SMS conversion are supported. Prioritize compliance by obtaining opt-in consent and respecting local regulations, including do-not-call lists and time zone preferences.

By following these guidelines, your SMS campaigns in Mauritius can be both effective and compliant. For more detailed information on local regulations, visit Mauritius Communications Authority.