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Mongolia SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Mongolia SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Mongolia
ISO code:
MN
Region
Asia
Mobile country code (MCC)
428
Dialing Code
+976
Market Conditions: Mongolia has a growing mobile market with increasing SMS usage for both personal and business communications. The country has several major mobile operators including Mobicom, Unitel, and Skytel. While OTT messaging apps like WeChat and Facebook Messenger are popular in urban areas, SMS remains crucial for business communications and authentication services, especially in rural regions where internet connectivity may be limited. Android devices dominate the mobile market share in Mongolia.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Mongolia
Mongolia 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 Mongolia according to current carrier configurations. Businesses should design their SMS strategies around one-way communications only.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenated messages are supported, though availability may vary by sender ID type. Message length rules: Standard SMS length limits apply - 160 characters for GSM-7 encoding, 70 characters for UCS-2 encoding. Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encodings are supported. Messages using Mongolian script require UCS-2 encoding, which reduces the character limit per segment.
MMS Support
MMS messages are not directly supported in Mongolia. When MMS content is sent, it is automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link where recipients can view the multimedia content. This ensures compatibility while still enabling rich media sharing capabilities.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is not available in Mongolia. Mobile numbers remain tied to their original carrier, which helps ensure reliable message routing and delivery.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in Mongolia. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery and an error response (400 error code 21614 for Twilio API implementations). These messages will not appear in logs and accounts will not be charged.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Mongolia
SMS communications in Mongolia are regulated by the Communications Regulatory Commission of Mongolia (CRC). 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 Required: You must obtain and document clear opt-in consent before sending marketing or promotional messages. Best practices include:
Maintaining detailed records of when and how consent was obtained
Using double opt-in processes for marketing lists
Clearly stating the type and frequency of messages users will receive
Providing transparent terms and conditions in both Mongolian and English
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
While Mongolia doesn't mandate specific keywords, implementing standard opt-out mechanisms is strongly recommended:
Support both English and Mongolian language commands
Common keywords: STOP/БОЛИХ, HELP/ТУСЛАМЖ
Process opt-out requests within 24 hours
Send confirmation messages in the same language as the opt-out request
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
Mongolia does not currently maintain an official Do Not Call registry. However, businesses should:
Maintain their own suppression lists
Honor opt-out requests immediately
Keep records of opted-out numbers for at least 12 months
Regularly clean contact lists to remove inactive numbers
Time Zone Sensitivity
Mongolia operates in UTC+8 (Ulaanbaatar Time). While there are no strict legal time restrictions, follow these best practices:
Send messages between 9:00 AM and 8:00 PM local time
Avoid sending during national holidays
Only send outside these hours for urgent or time-critical messages
Consider seasonal variations in daylight hours
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Mongolia
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Supported Registration requirements: Pre-registration not required, dynamic usage supported Sender ID preservation: Yes, sender IDs are preserved and displayed as sent
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes not supported
International long codes fully supported
Sender ID preservation: Yes, original sender ID is preserved Provisioning time: Immediate to 24 hours Use cases: Ideal for transactional messages, alerts, and notifications
Short Codes
Support: Not currently available in Mongolia 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
Political campaign messages without proper authorization
Cryptocurrency promotions
Content Filtering
Known Carrier Filtering Rules:
Messages containing certain keywords in Mongolian or English may be blocked
URLs from suspicious domains are filtered
High-volume sending from new sender IDs may be throttled
Tips to Avoid Blocking:
Avoid URL shorteners in messages
Use consistent sender IDs
Maintain regular sending patterns
Keep content professional and clear
Avoid excessive punctuation or all-caps
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Mongolia
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-actions
Personalize messages using recipient's name when appropriate
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 Mongolian holidays and festivals
Respect traditional celebration periods like Tsagaan Sar
Localization
Support both Mongolian script and Cyrillic
Consider bilingual messages for important communications
Use local date and time formats
Respect cultural nuances in message content
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Send opt-out confirmation messages
Maintain clean suppression lists
Regular audit of opt-out processes
Testing and Monitoring
Test across all major Mongolian carriers
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics
Regular testing of opt-out functionality
Monitor for carrier filtering changes
SMS API integrations for Mongolia
Twilio
Twilio provides robust SMS capabilities for sending messages to Mongolia. Integration requires your Account SID and Auth Token from the Twilio Console.
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize the client with your credentialsconst client =newTwilio(process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN);// Function to send SMS to MongoliaasyncfunctionsendSMSToMongolia( to:string, message:string, senderId:string):Promise<void>{try{// Ensure proper formatting for Mongolian numbersconst formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+976')? to :`+976${to}`;const response =await client.messages.create({ body: message, from: senderId,// Alphanumeric sender ID or Twilio number to: formattedNumber,});console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers direct carrier connections for reliable message delivery to Mongolia. Authentication uses Bearer token.