French Polynesia (France) SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features

French Polynesia (France) SMS Market Overview

Market Conditions: French Polynesia operates under French telecommunications regulations while maintaining its distinct market characteristics. The mobile market is dominated by local operators providing SMS services across the territory's 118 islands. While OTT messaging apps are gaining popularity, SMS remains a crucial communication channel due to its reliability across the archipelago's dispersed geography.

Key SMS Features and Capabilities in French Polynesia

French Polynesia supports basic SMS functionality with some limitations on advanced features like concatenation and two-way messaging.

Two-way SMS Support

Two-way SMS is not supported in French Polynesia according to current network capabilities. Messages can only be sent one-way from business to consumer.

Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)

Support: Concatenated messages are not supported in French Polynesia.
Message length rules: Messages must adhere to standard SMS character limits:

• 160 characters for GSM-7 encoding
• 70 characters for messages containing special characters (UCS-2)
  Encoding considerations: GSM-7 is recommended for standard messages, while UCS-2 should be used when Tahitian characters are required.

MMS Support

MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link to access the multimedia content. This ensures message delivery while providing access to rich media through web links.

Recipient Phone Number Compatibility

Number Portability

Number portability is not available in French Polynesia. Phone numbers remain tied to their original mobile network operators.

Sending SMS to Landlines

Sending SMS to landline numbers is not supported in French Polynesia. Attempts to send messages to landline numbers will result in a failed delivery and a 400 response error (code 21614) from the messaging API, with no charges applied to the sender's account.

Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in French Polynesia (France)

French Polynesia follows French national telecommunications laws while maintaining territorial specifications. The primary regulatory bodies are ARCEP (L'Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques) and CNIL (Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertés), which oversee SMS communications and data privacy respectively.

Consent and Opt-In

Explicit Consent Requirements:

• Written or electronic consent must be obtained before sending marketing messages
• Consent must be freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous
• Records of consent must be maintained for at least 3 years
• Double opt-in verification is strongly recommended

Documentation Requirements:

• Store consent timestamps
• Record the method of consent collection
• Maintain proof of opt-in for compliance audits

HELP/STOP and Other Commands

• All marketing messages must include clear opt-out instructions
• STOP ("STOP pour désabonner") must be supported in French
• AIDE (HELP) commands should be supported in French
• Consider including Tahitian language options for local accessibility

Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries

While French Polynesia doesn't maintain a separate Do Not Call registry, businesses must:

• Honor all opt-out requests immediately
• Maintain internal suppression lists
• Remove unsubscribed numbers within 24 hours
• Document all opt-out requests for compliance purposes

Time Zone Sensitivity

Sending Windows:

• Preferred sending hours: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM FPT (French Polynesia Time)
• Avoid sending between 10:00 PM - 7:00 AM FPT
• Respect local holidays and cultural events
• Emergency messages exempt from time restrictions

Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in French Polynesia (France)

Alphanumeric Sender ID

Operator network capability: Supported
Registration requirements: Dynamic usage allowed without pre-registration
Sender ID preservation: Sender IDs are generally preserved as sent

Long Codes

Domestic vs. International:

• Domestic long codes: Supported by operators but not currently available through major providers
• International long codes: Limited support

Sender ID preservation: Original sender ID typically preserved
Provisioning time: N/A for domestic, varies for international
Use cases: Transactional messaging, customer support

Short Codes

Support: Not supported in French Polynesia
Provisioning time: N/A
Use cases: N/A

Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases

Restricted Industries:

• Gambling and betting services
• Adult content and services
• Unauthorized financial services
• Prescription medications
• Political messaging without proper disclaimers

Content Filtering

Known Carrier Rules:

• Messages containing certain keywords may be blocked
• URLs should be from reputable domains
• Avoid excessive punctuation and special characters

Best Practices to Avoid Filtering:

• Use clear, professional language
• Avoid URL shorteners
• Include legitimate business identifiers
• Maintain consistent sending patterns

Best Practices for Sending SMS in French Polynesia (France)

Messaging Strategy

• Keep messages under 160 characters
• Include clear call-to-actions
• Personalize messages with recipient names when possible
• Maintain consistent sender IDs

Sending Frequency and Timing

• Limit to 2-3 messages per week per recipient
• Respect local holidays and weekends
• Consider time zones across different islands
• Space out bulk campaigns to avoid network congestion

Localization

• Support both French and Tahitian languages
• Consider cultural sensitivities
• Use appropriate date and time formats
• Include local contact information

Opt-Out Management

• Process opt-outs within 24 hours
• Maintain centralized opt-out databases
• Include clear opt-out instructions in every message
• Confirm opt-out requests with acknowledgment message

Testing and Monitoring

• Test messages across major local carriers
• Monitor delivery rates by carrier
• Track opt-out rates and patterns
• Regular review of message performance metrics

SMS API integrations for French Polynesia (France)

Twilio

Twilio provides a robust SMS API for sending messages to French Polynesia. Integration requires your Account SID and Auth Token for authentication.

import * as Twilio from 'twilio';

// Initialize the Twilio client
const client = new Twilio(
  process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID,    // Your Account SID
  process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN      // Your Auth Token
);

// Function to send SMS to French Polynesia
async function sendSMSToFrenchPolynesia(
  to: string,
  message: string,
  senderId: string
) {
  try {
    const response = await client.messages.create({
      to: `+689${to}`,              // French Polynesia prefix
      from: senderId,               // Your sender ID
      body: message,                // Message content
      statusCallback: 'https://your-callback-url.com/status'  // Optional status updates
    });
    
    console.log(`Message sent successfully: ${response.sid}`);
    return response;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error sending message:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

Sinch

Sinch offers SMS capabilities with straightforward integration using their SDK.

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(
  phoneNumber: string,
  message: string
) {
  try {
    const response = await sinchClient.sms.batches.send({
      to: [`+689${phoneNumber}`],    // French Polynesia number
      from: "YourBrand",             // Alphanumeric sender ID
      body: message,
      delivery_report: 'summary'      // Request delivery report
    });

    console.log(`Batch ID: ${response.id}`);
    return response;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Sinch SMS Error:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

MessageBird

MessageBird provides a simple API for sending SMS messages to French Polynesia.

import messagebird from 'messagebird';

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

// Function to send SMS via MessageBird
function sendMessageBirdSMS(
  to: string,
  message: string,
  senderId: string
): Promise<any> {
  return new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
    mbClient.messages.create({
      originator: senderId,          // Your sender ID
      recipients: [`+689${to}`],     // French Polynesia number
      body: message,
      datacoding: 'auto'             // Automatic character encoding
    }, (err, response) => {
      if (err) {
        reject(err);
      } else {
        resolve(response);
      }
    });
  });
}

Plivo

Plivo offers SMS capabilities with comprehensive delivery reporting.

import plivo from 'plivo';

// Initialize Plivo client
const plivoClient = new plivo.Client(
  process.env.PLIVO_AUTH_ID,
  process.env.PLIVO_AUTH_TOKEN
);

// Function to send SMS via Plivo
async function sendPlivoSMS(
  to: string,
  message: string,
  senderId: string
) {
  try {
    const response = await plivoClient.messages.create({
      src: senderId,                // Your sender ID
      dst: `+689${to}`,            // French Polynesia number
      text: message,
      url_status_callback: 'https://your-status-callback.com'
    });

    console.log('Message sent:', response);
    return response;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Plivo Error:', error);
    throw error;
  }
}

API Rate Limits and Throughput

• Default rate limit: 1 message per second per destination
• Batch sending: Maximum 500 recipients per batch
• Daily sending limits may apply based on account type

Strategies for Large-Scale Sending:

• Implement queuing system for high-volume campaigns
• Use batch APIs when available
• Schedule messages across multiple time windows
• Monitor delivery rates and adjust sending speed

Error Handling and Reporting

Common Error Codes:

• 21614: Invalid landline number
• 21408: Invalid sender ID
• 21211: Invalid phone number

Logging Best Practices:

• Log all API responses
• Track delivery receipts
• Monitor bounce rates
• Implement retry logic for failed messages

Recap and Additional Resources

Key Takeaways:

• Ensure compliance with French privacy laws and local regulations
• Implement proper consent management
• Respect sending windows (8:00 AM - 8:00 PM FPT)
• Use appropriate character encoding for local languages

Next Steps:

1. Review ARCEP guidelines for SMS messaging
2. Implement consent collection mechanisms
3. Set up delivery monitoring systems
4. Test message delivery across different carriers

Additional Information:

• ARCEP Official Website
• CNIL Data Privacy Guidelines
• French Polynesia Telecommunications Authority

Industry Resources:

• Mobile Operator Guidelines
• SMS Best Practices Documentation
• Local Compliance Frameworks