As the digital world expands and the reliance on mobile devices for services intensifies, managing domestic A2P traffic has become highly complex. Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) face significant challenges, particularly when it comes to categorising and monitoring large volumes of traffic data.
This article digs into these challenges and presents strategies to help MNOs improve their domestic A2P traffic management to enhance network performance and capitalise on commercial opportunities. These strategies, although daunting at first glance, can help operators unlock immense benefits to take them to the next level. By optimising and managing domestic A2P SMS traffic effectively, operators can ensure streamlined operations, improved profitability, and customer satisfaction.
Join us as we delve into the strategic importance of managing domestic A2P SMS traffic and its benefits for MNOs in the evolving digital landscape.
Challenges managing A2P SMS traffic
Data shows that over 80% of A2P traffic is domestic. This means that controlling, monitoring, and categorising it is crucial for network operators. However, operators face common hurdles in achieving this, including information gaps in traffic status, limited resources, and stationary rates for domestic A2P traffic.
Now, let’s dive deeper into these challenges.
#1 Lack of traffic insights
One of the biggest challenges mobile operators face when managing and optimising network resources originates from a lack of focus on SMS data categorisation. Often, A2P messages are treated uniformly instead of being classified by sender or content type. The absence of intelligent classification tools makes it difficult for operators to distinguish between the various types of A2P SMS traffic, which can range from transactional messages like OTPs and alerts to non-transactional ones such as promotional messages.
The lack of data segmentation restricts an operator’s ability to derive insights from it, making it difficult to understand the industry-specific nuances of their A2P footprint. This limited perspective can impede targeted service improvements, pricing strategies, and potential revenue opportunities, which are customised to the various A2P content and sender categories.
#2 Limited resources to focus on domestic traffic
Another obstacle operators may face is resource constraints, particularly when prioritising certain activities such as investing in infrastructure maintenance or launching new services, which can require significant financial and human resources. This might result in a shortage of resources dedicated to efficiently managing and optimising A2P traffic, particularly in the domestic market, where the focus may be more on international A2P traffic due to higher revenue opportunities.
#3 Standardised traffic rates
Flat rates for domestic A2P SMS traffic present a significant challenge for mobile operators because they restrict revenue potential. Current pricing models are focused on volumes and not on the value of SMS, which can be achieved after proper categorisation. This limitation partly stems from the lack of categorisation of the traffic data.
By re-evaluating pricing structures and developing a more comprehensive understanding of the market and the network data, mobile operators can unlock the potential for increased revenue and better serve their customers in the evolving landscape of A2P messaging.
Top 4 Benefits of managing A2P domestic traffic
Despite multiple challenges, effective handling and optimisation of domestic A2P traffic can drastically boost the operators’ revenue potential while enhancing their operational capabilities.
The plethora of benefits for mobile network operators include:
1. Optimised resource allocation: closely monitoring domestic traffic can be advantageous for mobile network operators to retain revenue. It allows operators to manage their resources effectively based on reliable data insights, which can help them gain better visibility and control over the A2P messages. This will enable them to make informed decisions and optimise resource allocation for better revenue retention.
2. More Efficient Operations: proper monetisation strategies come hand in hand with implementing tools on the network that offer valuable insights about the network traffic data, such as correct traffic categorisation. This enables operators to streamline their operations. For instance, by clearly segregating transactional messages from promotional ones, MNOs can better allocate network resources to handle these loads, leading to more efficient operations.
3. Optimised Pricing Models: access to better quality insights into domestic traffic will allow MNOs to develop tiered or dynamic pricing models tailored to different types of A2P messages. For example, urgent banking alerts might be priced differently than promotional messages, reflecting their value and importance to end-users.
4. Enhanced Security: better traffic optimisation and management come together with better security measures like spam and fraud detection to protect the integrity of the service and the satisfaction of both senders and receivers. This could result in increasing trust in the operator’s services and improving customer satisfaction.
Realising your full network potential
Implementing domestic traffic management tools on the network can pivotally elevate its performance and profitability. By gaining a comprehensive understanding of network traffic and correctly categorising it, MNOs can optimise their operations, develop fitting pricing models, and enhance security measures. Operational efficiency is bolstered as resources can be suitably distributed to handle varying challenges. At the same time, tailored pricing strategies can reflect the value and significance of having different types of A2P traffic.
Considering the challenges of correctly managing A2P domestic traffic, partnering with SMS aggregators is a good option for operators to help maintain a healthy messaging ecosystem. Here is where GMS can play a vital role in helping operators achieve these advancements by providing them with essential tools and strategies to enhance their understanding of their A2P domestic traffic, thus enabling them to fully leverage their networks’ potential. Through our expertise, we help MNOs unlock untapped revenues and gain a competitive edge in the dynamic telecommunications market. GMS serves as a catalyst for operators to transform the network operations, ensure users’ safety, and optimise their revenue streams.
At GMS, we have a team of experienced professionals dedicated to helping you navigate these complexities. Our one-stop-shop ecosystem has been conceived to protect, optimise and manage your messaging services, ensuring that you provide high-quality, efficient, and satisfying customer experiences. If you are ready for the next step in your operator journey, contact our experts today!
Let’s work together to unlock the full potential of your network.