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The netnumber Services Registry (nnSR®)

The netnumber Services Registry (nnSR®)

The Challenge: Provisioning

The telecom ecosystem in North America is complex. A multitude of MNOs and MVNOs offer mobile services to their customers. Many telecom providers and cable companies offer landline numbers. The landline numbers can be enabled for texting, which is a convenient service for businesses who want to better connect with their customers. In addition, a vast number of innovative OTT services have gained popularity and complement the suite of communication services available. This choice is great for consumers but complex when message routing needs to be set up.

The netnumber Solution

The netnumber Services Registry (nnSR®) is an industry database that manages and distributes authoritative routing information for the messaging industry, empowering innovative communications capabilities and messaging services by publishing dedicated service information for individual phone numbers. Communication Service Providers provision telephone numbers into the nnSR® and associate them with NNIDs and A2P campaign information using REST APIs. The messaging ecosystem consumes the respective data as regular updates or real-time queries through various APIs and integrations (for details see Carrier ID – North America). The result is a solution that can powerfully support use cases across network mergers and migrations, MVNO networks, SMS or MMS enablement and 10DLC A2P campaigns.

netnumber launched the nnSR® in 2008 to support a single Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in North America. This MVNO wanted to enable an override messaging service for their subscribers that would be managed separately from their underlying voice services. From this simple beginning, the nnSR® enabled a new OTT/MVNO messaging ecosystem to emerge in North America. Today, the nnSR® has grown into one of the world’s largest telecom registries, and accurate message routing is impossible in North America without the nnSR® registry.

The nnSR® is used today by the North American messaging ecosystem to identify if an OTT/MVNO messaging service has been assigned to a given subscriber number so that SMS and MMS messages can be routed effectively to both text-enabled fixed-line numbers (OTT) and mobile numbers allocated to a virtual (MVNO) operator.

With the introduction of 10 Digit Long Codes (10DLC), the nnSR® plays a vital role in Application-to-Person (A2P) text messaging in the United States. In order to be recognized in the industry as 10DLC, telephone numbers used to originate A2P messaging need to be tagged appropriately. Each messaging campaign that is registered with carriers gets a unique Campaign ID, which is then associated with the respective 10DLC. netnumber provides the tagging service for A2P telephone numbers and distributes this data to carriers and messaging hubs.

Key Features

The nnSR® is the most comprehensive and authoritative routing registry in North America. The nnSR® provides the only accurate routing information that is required to terminate SMS and MMS to text-enabled landline numbers, toll-free numbers and MVNOs.

netnumber normalizes the data for each service provider and returns it in a common format identifying each operator by its unique NNID.

nnSR® customers get free access to the Global Carrier Mapping Registry (GCMR) database. The GCMR is the world’s most widely utilized carrier identification database.
The GCMR identifies every CSP in the world (over 200 countries) via a six-digit routing ID called an NNID. The GCMR provides the translation of the NNID into key information about the destination operator.

The nnSR® REST API enables fast service integration and ease of use. In addition, it incorporates a rich set of authorization, conflict resolution, and notification features, which guarantee the nnSR®’s accuracy and protect subscribers and CSPs.

With the nnSR® stored in the netnumber data centers or close to the customers’ location in AWS, the service is capable of some of the fastest response times in the industry.

netnumber operates a fully redundant service that is managed and staffed 24×7. This ensures that you will receive carrier-grade service, availability, and performance.

Use Cases

netnumber enables multiple CPaaS providers and messaging hubs to route their SMS and MMS traffic accurately and cost-effectively to North American phone numbers. The netnumber Services Registry helps identify those telephone numbers with special message routing properties. This information feeds the routing engine and helps select the best route to use for each message.

Carrier Network Enablement:

Existing Pain Points:
● MVNO depends on host network infrastructure
● MNO messaging infrastructure does not support intra-carrier routing
● Host MNO charges forwarding fees without providing added value
● Voice and message services have different timelines for network migration

nnSR® Solution: MNOs can separate messaging traffic of virtual networks from host networks or asynchronously migrate voice and messaging services between networks.

Text and A2P Enablement:

Existing Pain Points:
● Virtual mobile phone numbers are not available for programmable SMS or MMS
● Short Codes are too expensive (500-1,000 USD monthly) and cumbersome for SMEs
● Shared Short Codes are forbidden (in U.S.)
● There are not enough dedicated Short Codes (5-6 digits = max. 989,999 codes)
● Short Codes lack voice calling
● Short Codes are not meant for conversational use cases
● Short Code Campaign setup takes months and requires long term planning
● 10DLCs are subject to throttling and extensive blocking when unsanctioned

nnSR® Solution: CPaaS providers and CLECs can add SMS and MMS capabilities to fixed line, VoIP, and toll-free numbers. Direct Connection Aggregators (DCAs) can also activate phone numbers for 10DLC A2P Campaigns, securing high throughput and appropriate fees on the respective connections.

nnSR Updated Graphicv2

Benefits

  • Enables accurate messaging routing in North America
  • It is fast to integrate and easy to use due to a robust REST API for provisioning
  • Guarantees accuracy and protects subscribers and service providers based on a rich set of authorization, conflict resolution and notification features
  • Supports A2P messaging on long codes in the United States, also known as A2P 10DLC.

CONTACT US TODAY!

To learn more about how netnumber ’ full range of innovative, pioneering and cost-effective phone number intelligence solutions can help you streamline, simplify and secure your network operations, drop us a line at sales@netnumber.com