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Norway SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Norway SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Norway
ISO code:
NO
Region
Europe
Mobile country code (MCC)
242
Dialing Code
+47
Market Conditions: Norway has a highly developed mobile market with near-universal smartphone penetration. The country's main mobile operators include Telenor, Telia, and Ice, providing extensive network coverage across urban and rural areas. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are popular, SMS remains a crucial channel for business communications, particularly for authentication, notifications, and marketing messages. The market shows a strong preference for Android devices, though iOS maintains a significant presence.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Norway
Norway offers comprehensive SMS capabilities including two-way messaging, concatenation support, and robust delivery infrastructure, while maintaining strict compliance requirements for business messaging.
Two-way SMS Support
Norway fully supports two-way SMS communications with no specific restrictions. This enables interactive messaging campaigns and customer service applications, making it ideal for business-to-consumer communications.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenation is fully supported across all major Norwegian carriers. Message length rules: Standard SMS length of 160 characters for GSM-7 encoding, or 70 characters for Unicode (UCS-2) messages. Messages exceeding these limits are automatically concatenated. Encoding considerations: GSM-7 is supported for standard Latin characters, while UCS-2 encoding is available for messages containing special characters or Norwegian-specific characters (æ, ø, å).
MMS Support
MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link to the multimedia content. This ensures reliable delivery while maintaining the ability to share rich media content. Best practice is to use short URLs and include clear instructions for accessing the content.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is fully available in Norway, allowing users to keep their phone numbers when switching carriers. This feature doesn't affect message delivery or routing as the system automatically updates routing information.
Sending SMS to Landlines
Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in Norway. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a 400 response error (code 21614) through the REST API, with no message delivery and no charges applied to the account.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Norway
Norway follows strict data privacy and consumer protection regulations governed by the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) and the Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet). All SMS communications must comply with GDPR requirements and local marketing laws.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Written or digital confirmation of opt-in is mandatory before sending marketing messages
Consent must be freely given, specific, and informed
Documentation of consent must include timestamp, source, and scope
Consent records should be maintained and readily available for audit
Best Practices for Obtaining Consent:
Use clear, unambiguous language when requesting permission
Specify the types of messages recipients will receive
Provide examples of message content and frequency
Store consent data securely with proper backup
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
Required Keywords:
STOPP or STOP for opt-out (both must be supported)
HJELP or HELP for assistance
All keywords must function in both Norwegian and English
Response messages must be in Norwegian unless recipient specifies otherwise
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
Norway maintains the "Reservasjonsregisteret" (Reservation Registry) for marketing communications. Best practices include:
Regular checks against the registry before campaigns
Immediate removal of registered numbers
Maintenance of internal suppression lists
Documentation of opt-out requests and processing dates
Time Zone Sensitivity
Time Restrictions:
Avoid sending non-essential messages between 20:00 and 08:00 GMT+1
Respect Norwegian public holidays
Emergency notifications exempt from time restrictions
Consider business hours (09:00-17:00) for optimal engagement
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for Norway
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Fully supported Registration requirements: No pre-registration required, dynamic usage allowed 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 preserved Provisioning time: Typically 1-2 business days Use cases: Ideal for two-way communication, customer support, and transactional messages
Short Codes
Support: Not currently supported in Norway Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: N/A
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Prohibited Content:
Gambling and lottery-related content strictly prohibited
Adult content and explicit material
Cryptocurrency promotions require special approval
Misleading or fraudulent content
Regulated Industries:
Financial services require compliance with financial regulations
Healthcare messages must comply with patient privacy laws
Political messages require clear sender identification
Content Filtering
Carrier Filtering Rules:
URLs must be whitelisted to prevent blocking
Messages containing non-whitelisted URLs may be filtered
Content is screened for prohibited keywords and phrases
Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:
Register URLs with carriers before sending
Use approved URL shorteners
Avoid excessive punctuation and special characters
Maintain consistent sender IDs
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Norway
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear calls-to-action
Personalize messages using recipient data
Maintain consistent branding and tone
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit marketing messages to 2-4 per month per recipient
Space messages appropriately (minimum 48 hours between messages)
Respect Norwegian holidays and cultural events
Monitor engagement metrics to optimize timing
Localization
Default to Norwegian for all standard messages
Offer language preference selection
Include special characters (æ, ø, å) when appropriate
Consider cultural context in message content
Opt-Out Management
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Maintain centralized opt-out database
Confirm opt-out with one final message
Regular audit of opt-out list compliance
Testing and Monitoring
Test across major Norwegian carriers (Telenor, Telia, Ice)
Twilio provides a robust REST API for sending SMS messages to Norway. Authentication uses account SID and auth token credentials.
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio clientconst client =newTwilio( process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN);// Function to send SMS to NorwayasyncfunctionsendNorwaySMS( to:string, message:string, senderId:string){try{// Ensure number is in E.164 format for Norwayconst formattedNumber = to.startsWith('+47')? to :`+47${to}`;const response =await client.messages.create({ body: message, from: senderId,// Alphanumeric sender ID or long code to: formattedNumber,});console.log(`Message sent successfully! SID: ${response.sid}`);return response;}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers a comprehensive SMS API with support for Norway's messaging requirements. Uses bearer token authentication.