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Bolivia SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Bolivia SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Bolivia
ISO code:
BO
Region
South America
Mobile country code (MCC)
736
Dialing Code
+591
Market Conditions: Bolivia's mobile market is dominated by three major operators: Entel (state-owned), Tigo, and Viva (Nuevatel). SMS remains a crucial communication channel, particularly for business-to-consumer messaging. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp are popular in urban areas, SMS maintains high penetration rates across both rural and urban regions due to its reliability and universal device support. Android devices dominate the market with over 90% market share, making SMS an especially effective channel for reaching the broadest possible audience.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Bolivia
Bolivia supports standard SMS features including two-way messaging and message concatenation, though certain restrictions apply based on carrier and sender ID type.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is fully supported in Bolivia across all major carriers. No special registration or additional requirements are needed to enable two-way messaging capabilities.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenation is supported but with carrier-specific limitations. Message length rules: Standard 160 characters for GSM-7 encoding, 70 characters for UCS-2 encoding before splitting occurs. Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encodings are supported. Messages containing special characters automatically use UCS-2 encoding, reducing the character limit per segment.
MMS Support
MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link. This ensures compatibility across all devices and carriers while still enabling rich media content delivery through web links.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in Bolivia. This means phone numbers remain tied to their original carrier, which helps ensure more reliable message routing and delivery.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in Bolivia. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery with a 400 response error (code 21614), and no charges will be incurred.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Bolivia
SMS communications in Bolivia are regulated by the Autoridad de Regulación y Fiscalización de Telecomunicaciones y Transportes (ATT). While specific SMS marketing regulations are still evolving, businesses must follow general telecommunications guidelines and international best practices for messaging.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Written or digital confirmation required before sending marketing messages
Clear disclosure of message frequency and content type
Maintain detailed records of opt-in dates, sources, and methods
Double opt-in recommended for marketing campaigns
Best Practices for Documentation:
Store consent records for minimum of 2 years
Include timestamp and source of opt-in
Maintain audit trail of consent changes
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
Required Keywords:
STOP, BAJA, NO - for opt-out requests
AYUDA, HELP - for assistance
All keywords must be supported in both Spanish and English
Commands must be case-insensitive
Language Considerations:
Primary support for Spanish required
Consider including both Spanish and English in help messages
Example: "Envie BAJA para cancelar/Send STOP to unsubscribe"
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
Bolivia does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry. However, businesses should:
Maintain their own opt-out databases
Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
Share opt-out lists across campaigns and platforms
Implement proactive filtering of known opted-out numbers
Time Zone Sensitivity
Bolivia operates in UTC-4 time zone year-round. Recommended messaging hours:
Weekdays: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM BOT
Weekends: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM BOT
Exceptions: Emergency notifications and critical alerts
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Bolivia
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Partially supported
Only Nuevatel (Viva) supports dynamic alphanumeric sender IDs
Other carriers overwrite with numeric IDs
Registration requirements:
Pre-registration not required
Dynamic usage allowed only on Viva network
Sender ID preservation:
Preserved on Viva network
Overwritten with random shortcode on other networks
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes not supported
International long codes supported with limitations
Sender ID preservation:
No preservation on most networks
Converted to short code or random numeric ID
Provisioning time:
1-2 business days for international numbers
Immediate activation on some networks
Use cases:
Transactional messaging
Two-factor authentication
Customer support communications
Short Codes
Support: Available through all major carriers
Provisioning time: 8-12 weeks for dedicated short codes
Use cases:
High-volume marketing campaigns
Premium messaging services
Brand-specific communications
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Restricted Industries:
Gambling and betting services
Adult content or services
Unauthorized financial services
Political campaigns without proper authorization
Cryptocurrency promotions
Regulated Industries:
Financial services require ATT approval
Healthcare messages must comply with privacy regulations
Educational institutions need institutional verification
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Filters:
URLs from unknown domains
Multiple exclamation marks
ALL CAPS messages
High-frequency keywords
Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:
Use registered URL shorteners
Maintain consistent sender IDs
Avoid excessive punctuation
Include clear business identifier
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Bolivia
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-action
Use personalization tokens strategically
Maintain consistent brand voice
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 4-5 messages per month per user
Respect local holidays and observances
Avoid early morning/late night sending
Space campaigns at least 72 hours apart
Localization
Primary content in Spanish
Consider indigenous languages for targeted regions
Use local date/time formats (DD/MM/YYYY)
Account for regional language variations
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Confirm opt-out with one-time acknowledgment
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Regular audit of opt-out compliance
Testing and Monitoring
Test across all major carriers (Entel, Tigo, Viva)
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics
Regular A/B testing of message content
SMS API integrations for Bolivia
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust REST API for sending SMS messages to Bolivia. Authentication uses account SID and auth token credentials.
Key Parameters:
from: Sender ID (shortcode or alphanumeric)
to: Recipient number in E.164 format (+591XXXXXXXX)
body: Message content (supports Unicode)
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio client with credentialsconst client =newTwilio( process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN);asyncfunctionsendSMSToBolivia( to:string, message:string):Promise<void>{try{// Send message with error handlingconst response =await client.messages.create({ body: message, to: to,// Format: +591XXXXXXXX from: process.env.TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER,// Optional parameters for delivery tracking statusCallback:'https://your-callback-url.com/status'});console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers a REST API with JWT authentication for SMS delivery to Bolivia.