What are the SMS delivery status codes for messages that are sent to India? [updated 2019]

Why are SMS messages to India undelivered?

Problem/Symptoms

1. Why are my SMS messages to India undelivered?
2. Why can't I send SMS in India?
3. Error code 1 Unknown
4. No delivery in India
5. Very low delivery in India
6. Undelivered in India
7. How do I get delivery in India?
8. How can I register with the NDNC?

Cause

The most probable cause for this is that your recepients are registered with India's NDNC (National Do Not Call) list.

Context

India is a very complex market as far as regulations are concerned and if you do not comply with them your SMS will not be delivered. Very few numbers in India are not registered with the NDNC register, so you may still see some small levels of delivery, but most of your SMS will be undelivered.

You can register your Sender ID to bypass this filter. The requirements for this are:

You are sending transactional messages which are either user-generated or expected

A 6 - Alphanumeric sender ID and SMS template for registration

Minimum 25k SMS per month

Resolution

1. Check the destination number on the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India registry using the following search tool: http://www.nccptrai.gov.in/nccpregistry/search.misc

N.B. Omit India International prefix 91

2. Register at http://sms.bulksmsind.in/registernew

Registration is not immediate - if you need this process expediting, please contact (BULK SMS INDIA Support).

View a list of delivery status codes from BULK SMS INDIA. In case of an SMS delivery failure, if the status code is Permanent, do not attempt to resend the SMS message.

Table 1. BULK SMS INDIA delivery status codes for India

CARRIER_ERR_DES	Description	Permanent/Temporary
Delivered to Handset	Message was delivered to the handset.
UNKNOWN	Unknown Network Error at the SMSC	Temporary
Unknown subscriber	Message is rejected because there is no directory number for the mobile subscriber or service is temporarily not available for the subscriber from the end carrier	Permanent
Service temporary not available	Intermittent network error in the Short Message Service Center (SMSC)	Temporary
Unknown subscriber, System failure	System failure due to Unknown subscriber	Permanent
Absent subscriber SM	Subscriber cannot be reached at the time of broadcast or unknown subscriber	Temporary
Unknown equipment	Network error in Telco	Temporary
Illegal subscriber	Invalid subscribers	Temporary
System failure (Network timeout)	Network timeout at the SMSC level	Temporary
MS not equipped (Teleservice not provisioned)	Mobile switching (MS) center not equipped to teleservice	Temporary
Illegal equipment	Message rejected because the MS was black-listed	Permanent
Call barred	Messages blocked by the end user / carrier	Permanent
System failure	System failure in the MT network.	Temporary
SM Delivery fail (Subscriber busy for MT SMS)	Short Message delivery fail due to the Mobile Termination because of subscriber busy	Temporary
SMS lower layer not provisioned	SMS lower layers capabilities not provisioned: message rejected due to MS not being able to support the SMS	Temporary
System failure (Error in SMT)	Failure in SMSC during termination	Temporary
Facility not supported	The message is rejected due to non provision in SMSC	Permanent
Delivery fail (No interworking module available)	Network issue at the SMSC level	Temporary
Delivery fail (VP exceeded)	Delivery failed due to message expiry	Temporary
Absent subscriber	Absent subscriber due to phone being switched off,due to phone out of coverage,due to roaming restriction/restricted area	Temporary
Delivery fail (Subscriber busy)	Delivery failed due to the subscriber was in busy mode	Temporary
System failure (No subscriber reply)	Failure due the no response from the SMSC	Temporary
Subscriber busy for MT SMS	Subscriber busy during message termination	Temporary
Delivery fail	Message failed due to the network error with SMSCs	Temporary
Message waiting list full	Re-try timeout in between the networks	Temporary
System failure (remote abort)	Network error at the far end operator	Temporary
Teleservice not provisioned	New / non-existent number series	Temporary
PLMN system failure	Error in SMSC authentication failure	Temporary
HLR system failure	The Home Location Register is a database. It provides routing information for MT (Mobile Terminated) calls and SMS (Short Message Service). If this information is not accessed by the carriers it will results in HLR timeout	Temporary
VLR system failure	The Visitor Location Register is a temporary database of the subscribers who have roamed into the particular area which it serves. Each base station in the network is served by exactly one VLR, hence a subscriber cannot be present in more than one VLR at a time. If this information is not accessed by the carriers it will results in HLR timeout	Temporary
Previous VLR system failure	Connectivity issue with VLR and HLR	Temporary
Controlling MSC system failure	Mobile switching center controlling failure	Temporary
VMSC system failure	Error in VMSC authentication failure	Temporary
	Network system error	Temporary
SM delivery failure	Unknown SMSC failure	Temporary
Memory capacity exceeded	Memory capacity exceeded on the MT handset	Temporary
Equipment protocol error	Message not compatible with short message protocol	Temporary
Equipment not SM equipped	Messaging was not equipment for delivery	Temporary
System failure (unexpected data value)	Message not compatible with short message protocol	Temporary
SM loop prevention	Short Message looping route failure	Temporary
Barring service active	Barring Service activated by the end customer / Operator	Permanent
Operator barring	Messages blocked by the carrier	Permanent
No paging response via the MSC	No response from Mobile switching center	Temporary
IMSI detached	Mobile network to which it was connected. The IMSI detach procedure informs the network that the Mobile Station is switched off	Temporary
Roaming restriction	Roaming not provisioned	Temporary
Deregistered in the HLR for non-GPRS	Unable to connect to Home Location register	Temporary
MS purged for non-GPRS	A request for a roaming number concerning a subscriber whose record has been discarded from the VLR by the Super-Charger database management function results in a “MS Purged” indication from the VLR to the HLR, so that the HLR subsequently can set the “MS Purged for Non-GPRS” flag for the concerned subscriber, thereby preventing subsequent attempts to reach the concerned subscriber with mobile terminated calls or short messages.	Temporary
No paging response via the SGSN	Service GPRS service node	Temporary
GPRS detached	The mobile-station-Not-Reachable-Reason (MNRR) indicates the reason why the recipient SMe is absent from the network. This indicator,maintained by the HLR, is either cleared or contains one of the following values: no paging response via the MSC, no paging response via the SGSN, IMSI detached.	Temporary
Deregistered in the HLR for GPRS	Routing information for MT (Mobile Terminated) calls and SMS (Short Message Service). If this information is not accessed by the carriers it will results in HLR timeout	Temporary
MS purged for GPRS	Mobile station	Temporary
Unidentified subscriber via the MSC	Unknown subscriber in Mobile Switching Centre (MSC)	Temporary
Unidentified subscriber via the SGSN	Unknown subscriber in Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)	Temporary
EIR system failure	Equipment identity register fail at HLR	Temporary
Delivery fail (SM delivery failure)	Short Message (SM) delivery fail	Temporary
Protocol error (MS Protocol error)	Mobile station / tower network error	Temporary
MS not equipped	Mobile Station not equipped to deliver the message	Temporary
Error in MS	Network issue at the SMSC level	Temporary
SMS lower layer capabilities not provisioned	Message rejected due to MS not being able to support the SMS	Temporary
System failure (unexpected data value)	Message content not support by the handset	Temporary
Delivery fail (SM loop prevented)	Short Message delivery failed due to message routing issue	Temporary
Unauthorised message originator	Blocked / Not registered Sender id	Permanent
Unauthorised message originator-Barring service	Barred / Blocked / Not registered Sender id	Permanent
Unauthorised message originator-Operator barring	Operator Barred / Blocked / Not registered Sender id	Permanent
GPRS connection suspended	Network suspended error	Temporary
IMSI unknown	International Mobile Subscriber Identity Unknown	Temporary
GPRS subscription unknown	GPRS subscription if the HLR indicates that there is an error in the type of subscription (i.e. SGSN requests service for a non-GPRS only subscriber). The HLR may also send this error in the MAP SEND AUTHENTICATION INFORESPONSE message.	Temporary
MNP other operator not allowed	Mobile Number Portability not allowed	Temporary
Measured no paging response via the MSC	No response from Mobile switching center	Temporary
Measured no paging response via the SGSN	No response from Mobile Serving GPRS Support Node	Temporary
Illegal MS (HLR Access Denied: MS Denied)	The Home Location Register is a database. It provides routing information for MT (Mobile Terminated) calls and SMS	Temporary
Absent subscriber(HLR Access Denied: Postponed)	Subscriber cannot be reached at the time of broadcast or unknown subscriber	Temporary
Illegal MS (Address vacant)	Message rejected due to an error occurring within the MS at reception of a short message (lack of address).	Temporary
Illegal MS (Address translation failure)	Message rejected due to an error occurring within the MS at reception of a short message (lack of Address translation).	Temporary
Service temporary not avail.	Temporary network error	Temporary
System failure (Network failure)	Network error at the SMSC level	Temporary
No Page Response (Out of coverage area)	Network error	Temporary
Absent subscriber (No acknowledgment)	Absent subscriber due to phone being switched off,due to phone out of coverage, due to roaming restriction/restricted area without acknowledgment	Temporary
Absent subscriber(Destination resource shortage)	The message is rejected because there was no paging response , the IMSI record is marked detached, or the MS is subject to roaming restrictions	Temporary
Absent subscriber (SMS delivery postponed)	User's mobile number not reachable or out of network coverage area.	Temporary
Absent subscriber (Destination out of service)	Mobile number barred at the carrier end	Temporary
Unexpected data value (Encoding problem)	Message termination problem due to handset issue	Temporary
Call barred (SMS termination denied)	Messages blocked by the carrier	Permanent
Call barred (SMS not supported)	SMS not support for the handset	Permanent
Unexpected data value	Network error	Permanent
Reserved	Unknown network error at the SMSC	Temporary
SMS Request Timeout (no response from HLR)	Message delivery failed due to Home Location Register timeout	Temporary
SMS Delivery Timeout (no response from MSC)	Message service centre connection error (network issue)	Temporary
Invalid IDI address received	Invalid mobile numbers	Permanent
Error in MSC address translation	Unable to translate the Address in Mobile switching center	Temporary
No acknowledgment from Handset	Delivery confirmation was not acknowledged by the end customers Handset	Temporary
MTP failure	Unknown network error at the SMSC	Temporary
User error: MIN Mismatch	Mismatch in mobile identification number (MIN) will result in MIN mismatch	Temporary
User error: Resource shortage	Network failure in SMSC	Temporary
User error: System failure	Network Failure in SMSC	Temporary
Invalid SenderId	Blocked / Not registered sender id	Permanent