[VoiceOps] ZipWhip - is it really shut down? Toll Free SMS Issues

[Peter Beckman]

I've learned more since 5:30pm today.

Even the sending of SMS prior to approval allowance is going away.

https://support.bandwidth.com/hc/en-us/articles/18852381946647-Aggregator-blocking-pending-toll-free-numbers-on-Jan-31

 	Beginning January 31, 2024, the toll-free messaging aggregator that Bandwidth
 	uses to support toll-free messaging will be blocking all traffic from pending
 	toll-free numbers. This means that any number that is not verified will have
 	its traffic blocked, whether the number is restricted or pending.

The other announcement related to this that I've found since my email here:

https://support.bandwidth.com/hc/en-us/articles/18173670263447-Toll-free-messaging-blocks-beginning-November-8

 	Effective November 8, 2023, the toll-free messaging aggregator that Bandwidth
 	uses to support toll-free messaging traffic is blocking all restricted
 	(formerly called "unverified") toll-free numbers (TFNs) from sending traffic.
 	At this time, there is no change to limits on sending from pending TFNs.

Argh.

Whelp, seems like Toll Free SMS will be just like 10DLC.

Anyone have an idea of how long it takes from Verification Submission to
Verification Approval? I heard rumors of 4-12 WEEKS. Insane.

I assume there is only ONE Toll-free messaging aggregator??? Or are there any
that are NOT enforcing these rules?

Beckman


On Wed, 6 Dec 2023, Jeff Waddell wrote:

> I got an email from Sinch end of Oct/early Nov that they were blocking all
> outbound unregistered TF messaging at some future date (I thought it was
> Jan 1, but could have been Dec 1). Once you submitted registration, prior
> to approval, the number would be allowed to conditionally send messages.
>
> This has been consistent with what we have seen over the last few weeks
>
> -Jeff
>
> On Wed, Dec 6, 2023 at 5:28 PM Peter Beckman via VoiceOps <
> voiceops at voiceops.org> wrote:
>
>> ZipWhip via Twilio seems to have shut down as of December 1, 2023:
>>
>>      https://support.zipwhip.com/s/article/Software-Shutdown-FAQ
>>
>> However, Sinch seems to be still claiming that ZipWhip is alive and well,
>> and the form they give us for Registration has the ZipWhip logo. They say
>> registration can take 4-12 weeks, which is far past the December 1, 2023
>> shutdown date.
>>
>> Can anyone shed any light on the status of ZipWhip, the status of Toll Free
>> SMS, where ZipWhip customers are going to (staying with Twilio?), etc.
>>
>> Our tests are showing that unregistered Toll Free Numbers stopped being
>> able to send outbound SMS messages between October and November, which
>> co-incides with the ZipWhip shutdown.
>>
>> Prior to registration, you could send 500/1000/2000 SMS messages a month,
>> that did not include URLs or emails, without registration.
>> Post-registration, you could send 2000/5000/10000 SMS a month, and include
>> URLs and Emails.
>>
>> I'd love to know some detail of what is REALLY going on, it seems like
>> nobody I've talked to really knows.
>>
>> Beckman
>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> Peter Beckman                                                  Internet Guy
>> beckman at angryox.com
>> https://www.angryox.com/
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Peter Beckman                                                  Internet Guy
beckman at angryox.com                                https://www.angryox.com/
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