In Application-to-Person (A2P) text messaging, throughput refers to the number of SMS and MMS messages sent within a specific period of time. Often expressed as throughput per second (TPS), it is a critical metric for businesses leveraging A2P messaging for communication with their customers.
Throughput limits, also known as rate limits, depend on the sender’s phone number type, such as Short Code, 10-digit long code (10DLC), or Toll-Free numbers. For 10DLC numbers specifically, these limits are determined by the Campaign use case approved by The Campaign Registry (TCR).
North American Carriers are responsible for setting 10DLC rate limits across all A2P text messaging use-cases. These are determined for businesses through 10DLC registration with The Campaign Registry (TCR), the “reputation authority” for 10DLC.
TCR registration is similar to doing a background check. You provide the required information on a business (Brand) and its text messaging use-case (Campaign) which is then used to vet and verify the business and its messaging needs. If everything checks out, the Carriers reward you with higher messaging rate limits, less filtering, and lower Carrier pass-through fees.
Throughput limits are determined by the carriers and are allocated differently per carrier. For example:
These variations mean that businesses must consider both their use case and their audience’s carrier distribution when planning their messaging strategy. In order to maximize rate limits without exceeding them, businesses need to proactively know who each message recipient’s Carrier is and how many messages are being sent to each Carrier from the Brand and its related Campaigns prior to sending a text message.
Ultimately, throughput limits are designed to protect both the MNOs’ systems and end users. They prevent network congestion and mitigate the risk of unsolicited or spam messages reaching consumers. For businesses, proper registration and verification ensure compliance while unlocking the full potential of A2P messaging.
Leveraging tools like Telgorithm’s Smart Queueing technology further ensures that throughput limits are effectively managed. This is the only tech that automatically tracks approved limits and optimizes message delivery, allowing businesses to maximize their messaging potential without the risk of exceeding carrier restrictions.
