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Liberia SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Liberia SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Liberia
ISO code:
LR
Region
Middle East & Africa
Mobile country code (MCC)
618
Dialing Code
+231
Market Conditions: Liberia's mobile market is dominated by MTN Liberia and Lonestar Cell, with SMS remaining a crucial communication channel due to its reliability and broad reach. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp are gaining popularity in urban areas, SMS continues to be the primary messaging solution across the country, especially in rural regions where data connectivity can be inconsistent. Android devices significantly outnumber iOS devices in the market, making SMS an essential channel for reaching the broadest possible audience.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Liberia
Liberia offers basic SMS functionality with some limitations on advanced features like concatenation and two-way messaging, while supporting both alphanumeric sender IDs and international long codes for message origination.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported in Liberia through major SMS providers. This means businesses can only send outbound messages without the ability to receive replies from recipients.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Concatenated messaging is not supported in Liberia. Message length rules: Messages must adhere to standard SMS character limits. Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encoding are supported, with UCS-2 available for alphanumeric sender IDs.
MMS Support
MMS messages are not directly supported in Liberia. Instead, when attempting to send MMS, the message is automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link where recipients can access the multimedia content. This ensures compatibility while still allowing the sharing of rich media content.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in Liberia. This means mobile numbers remain tied to their original network operator, simplifying message routing but limiting consumer flexibility.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not possible in Liberia. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a 400 response error (code 21614) through SMS APIs, with no message delivery and no charges applied to the sender's account.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Liberia
SMS communications in Liberia are regulated under the Liberia Telecommunications Act of 2007, with oversight from the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA). While specific SMS marketing regulations are still evolving, businesses must adhere to general telecommunications guidelines and international best practices.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Obtain clear, documented opt-in consent before sending any marketing or promotional messages
Maintain detailed records of when and how consent was obtained
Include clear terms and conditions during the opt-in process
Specify the type and frequency of messages users can expect
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
All SMS campaigns must support standard HELP and STOP commands
Keywords should be supported in English (Liberia's official language)
Common variations like CANCEL, END, QUIT, and UNSUBSCRIBE should also be honored
Automated responses to these commands should be immediate and in English
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
Liberia currently does not maintain an official Do Not Call registry. However, businesses should:
Maintain their own suppression lists of opted-out numbers
Honor opt-out requests within 24 hours
Regularly clean contact lists to remove inactive or invalid numbers
Document all opt-out requests for compliance purposes
Time Zone Sensitivity
Liberia operates in the GMT timezone (UTC+0). While there are no strict legal restrictions on SMS sending times:
Recommended sending window: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM local time
Emergency messages: Can be sent outside these hours if truly urgent
Religious and cultural considerations: Avoid sending during major holidays or religious observances
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Liberia
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Fully supported across major networks Registration requirements: Pre-registration required with a 3-week provisioning time Sender ID preservation: Yes, sender IDs are preserved as registered Restrictions: Promotional content is not allowed for registered sender IDs
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes are not supported
International long codes are supported, except for MTN network
Sender ID preservation: Yes, for supported networks Provisioning time: Immediate for international long codes Use cases: Transactional messaging, alerts, and notifications
Short Codes
Support: Not currently supported in Liberia 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 explicit material
Unauthorized financial services
Political campaign messages without proper authorization
Cryptocurrency and unauthorized investment schemes
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Filtering Rules:
Messages containing certain keywords related to restricted industries
URLs from suspicious or blacklisted domains
Messages with excessive capitalization or special characters
Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:
Avoid spam-triggering words and phrases
Use registered and approved sender IDs
Maintain consistent sending patterns
Keep URLs to a minimum and use reputable domains
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Liberia
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear calls-to-action
Personalize messages using recipient's name or relevant details
Maintain consistent branding across campaigns
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 4-5 messages per month per recipient
Respect local holidays and cultural events
Maintain consistent sending patterns
Allow at least 24 hours between marketing messages
Localization
Primary language: English (official language)
Consider supporting local indigenous languages for specific regions
Use simple, clear language
Avoid colloquialisms or complex terminology
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Send confirmation message for opt-outs
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Regular audit of opt-out list compliance
Testing and Monitoring
Test messages across both major carriers (MTN and Lonestar)
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics and opt-out rates
Regular testing of opt-out functionality
SMS API integrations for Liberia
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API that supports messaging to Liberia. Here's how to implement it:
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize the client with your credentialsconst client =newTwilio( process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID,// Your Twilio Account SID process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN// Your Twilio Auth Token);// Function to send SMS to LiberiaasyncfunctionsendSMSToLiberia( to:string,// Recipient number in E.164 format (+231XXXXXXXX) message:string,// Message content senderId:string// Your registered alphanumeric sender ID){try{const response =await client.messages.create({ to: to, from: senderId, body: message,// Optional parameters for delivery tracking statusCallback:'https://your-callback-url.com/status'});console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);return response;}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers comprehensive SMS capabilities for Liberia through their REST API: