Guinea SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features

Guinea SMS Market Overview

Market Conditions: Guinea's mobile market is characterized by a growing SMS adoption rate, with SMS remaining a crucial communication channel for businesses and consumers. The country's telecommunications infrastructure continues to develop, with major operators like MTN and Orange providing SMS services. While OTT messaging apps are gaining popularity in urban areas, SMS remains the most reliable and widely accessible messaging solution, particularly in rural regions where internet connectivity may be limited.

Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Guinea

Guinea supports basic SMS functionality with some limitations on advanced features, focusing primarily on one-way messaging capabilities for business communications.

Two-way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is not supported in Guinea according to current network capabilities. Businesses should design their messaging strategies around one-way communications only.

Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)

Support: Concatenated messaging is not supported in Guinea.
Message length rules: Standard SMS character limits apply - messages should be kept within single-message limits to ensure reliable delivery.
Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encoding are supported, with UCS-2 particularly important for messages containing local language characters.

MMS Support

MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link. This conversion ensures message delivery while allowing businesses to share rich media content through linked resources. For optimal delivery, it's recommended to use URL shorteners and ensure media hosting is accessible in Guinea.

Recipient Phone Number Compatibility

Number Portability

Number portability is not available in Guinea. This means phone numbers remain tied to their original mobile network operators, simplifying message routing but requiring businesses to maintain accurate carrier information for their contact lists.

Sending SMS to Landlines

Sending SMS to landline numbers is not possible in Guinea. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery with a 400 response error (code 21614). Messages will not appear in logs, and accounts will not be charged for these attempted deliveries.

Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Guinea

Guinea's SMS communications are governed by the Law on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection, which emphasizes consumer protection and data privacy. The primary regulatory authority is the Posts and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (ARPT).

Consent and Opt-In

Explicit Consent Requirements:

• Written or electronic consent must be obtained before sending marketing messages
• Consent records must be maintained and easily accessible
• Purpose of communication must be clearly stated during opt-in
• Consent must be specific to SMS communications

Best Practices for Consent Collection:

• Use double opt-in verification
• Maintain detailed consent logs including timestamp and opt-in method
• Provide clear terms and conditions during signup
• Regular consent database maintenance and updates

HELP/STOP and Other Commands

• All SMS campaigns must support standard STOP commands
• HELP and STOP keywords should be recognized in both French and local languages
• Response to STOP commands must be immediate and confirmed
• HELP messages should include contact information and opt-out instructions

Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries

While Guinea does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry, businesses should:

• Maintain their own suppression lists
• Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
• Implement automated opt-out processing
• Regularly clean contact databases

Time Zone Sensitivity

Guinea observes UTC+0 time zone. Best practices include:

• Sending messages between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM local time
• Avoiding messages during religious holidays
• Limiting emergency messages outside business hours
• Considering Ramadan timing adjustments when applicable

Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Guinea

Alphanumeric Sender ID

Operator network capability: Supported with pre-registration required
Registration requirements: Global pre-registration mandatory; no segregation between international and domestic traffic
Sender ID preservation: Yes, preserved when properly registered
Additional considerations:

• Promotional content not allowed
• Generic sender IDs (InfoSMS, INFO, etc.) are discouraged
• 3-week provisioning time required

Long Codes

Domestic vs. International:

• Domestic long codes not supported
• International long codes supported but with limitations

Sender ID preservation: No preservation for international numbers
Use cases:

• Transactional messaging
• Customer support
• Account notifications

Short Codes

Support: Available through mobile operators
Provisioning time: Variable, carrier-dependent
Use cases:

• Marketing campaigns
• Two-factor authentication
• Customer service

Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases

Restricted Industries:

• Gambling and betting services
• Adult content
• Cryptocurrency promotions
• Unauthorized financial services

Regulated Sectors:

• Banking communications require additional verification
• Healthcare messages must maintain patient confidentiality
• Government services need official authorization

Content Filtering

Known Carrier Rules:

• URLs must be from approved domains
• Message content screened for prohibited terms
• Character limit enforcement
• Spam pattern detection

Best Practices:

• Avoid URL shorteners when possible
• Use approved templates for sensitive content
• Maintain consistent sender IDs
• Follow local language guidelines

Best Practices for Sending SMS in Guinea

Messaging Strategy

• Keep messages under 160 characters
• Include clear call-to-actions
• Use approved sender IDs consistently
• Maintain professional tone and formatting

Sending Frequency and Timing

• Limit to 4-5 messages per month per recipient
• Respect religious and cultural observances
• Avoid weekend messaging unless urgent
• Space out bulk campaigns appropriately

Localization

• Primary languages: French and local dialects
• Consider cultural sensitivities
• Use appropriate date and time formats
• Include local context when relevant

Opt-Out Management

• Process opt-outs within 24 hours
• Maintain centralized opt-out database
• Confirm opt-out receipt
• Regular database cleaning

Testing and Monitoring

• Test across all major carriers (MTN, Orange)
• Monitor delivery rates by carrier
• Track engagement metrics
• Regular performance reporting

SMS API integrations for Guinea

Twilio

Twilio provides a robust SMS API for sending messages to Guinea. Here's how to implement it:

import { Twilio } from 'twilio';

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

// Function to send SMS to Guinea
async function sendSMSToGuinea(
  to: string,
  message: string,
  senderId: string
): Promise<void> {
  try {
    // Ensure phone number is in E.164 format for Guinea (+224)
    const formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+224') ? to : `+224${to}`;

    const response = await client.messages.create({
      body: message,
      from: senderId, // Pre-registered alphanumeric sender ID
      to: formattedNumber,
      // Set statusCallback for delivery tracking
      statusCallback: 'https://your-webhook.com/status'
    });

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

Sinch

Sinch offers comprehensive SMS capabilities for Guinea with straightforward integration:

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
});

// Function to send SMS via Sinch
async function sendSinchSMS(
  recipientNumber: string,
  messageText: string
): Promise<void> {
  try {
    const response = await sinchClient.sms.batches.send({
      to: [`+224${recipientNumber}`],
      from: 'YOUR_SENDER_ID',
      body: messageText,
      // Enable delivery reports
      deliveryReport: 'summary'
    });

    console.log('Message batch ID:', response.id);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Sinch SMS error:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

MessageBird

MessageBird provides reliable SMS delivery to Guinea with the following implementation:

import { MessageBird } from 'messagebird';

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

// Function to send SMS via MessageBird
async function sendMessageBirdSMS(
  to: string,
  message: string
): Promise<void> {
  const params = {
    originator: 'YOUR_SENDER_ID',
    recipients: [`+224${to}`],
    body: message,
    // Set datacoding for Unicode support if needed
    datacoding: 'unicode'
  };

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

    console.log('MessageBird response:', response);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('MessageBird error:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

API Rate Limits and Throughput

• Default rate limit: 100 messages per second
• Batch processing recommended for volumes over 1000/hour
• Implement exponential backoff for retry logic
• Queue messages during peak times

Best Practices for High Volume:

• Use batch APIs when possible
• Implement proper error handling and retries
• Monitor throughput metrics
• Schedule large campaigns during off-peak hours

Error Handling and Reporting

Common Error Scenarios:

• Invalid phone numbers
• Network timeouts
• Rate limit exceeded
• Invalid sender ID

Logging Best Practices:

// Example error handling implementation
function handleSMSError(error: any): void {
  const errorLog = {
    timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
    errorCode: error.code,
    errorMessage: error.message,
    recipientNumber: error.recipient,
    retryCount: error.retries || 0
  };

  // Log to monitoring system
  console.error('SMS Error:', errorLog);
  
  // Implement retry logic based on error type
  if (isRetryableError(error)) {
    scheduleRetry(errorLog);
  }
}

Recap and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways

1. Compliance First:

   • Obtain explicit consent
   • Respect time zone restrictions
   • Maintain proper opt-out mechanisms

2. Technical Considerations:

   • Use pre-registered sender IDs
   • Implement proper error handling
   • Monitor delivery rates

3. Best Practices:

   • Localize content appropriately
   • Maintain clean contact lists
   • Regular testing across carriers

Next Steps

1. Technical Setup:

   • Register with preferred SMS provider
   • Implement API integration
   • Set up monitoring and logging

2. Compliance:

   • Review ARPT regulations
   • Establish consent collection process
   • Document opt-out procedures

3. Testing:

   • Verify sender ID registration
   • Test message delivery
   • Monitor success rates

Additional Resources

• ARPT Guinea Official Website
• Guinea Telecommunications Law
• SMS Best Practices Guide

Contact Information:

• ARPT Technical Support: support@arpt.gov.gn
• Emergency Technical Support: +224 XX XXX XXX