The ability to quickly validate numbers and route calls and SMS messages based on the mobile network a phone number belongs to is an important tool for businesses that provide VoIP, telephony, and messaging services. Using HLR lookup to verify mobile networks helps to prevent costly erroneous sending of voice calls, text messages and other commercial communication to unused or invalid phones.
With the advent of mobile number portability, more and more cell phone subscribers are keeping their same numbers when changing providers. This trend has created a huge challenge for companies that deliver services over the air such as business VoIP, A2P SMS aggregators, MVNOs and others who rely on number-to-phone routing to send commercial messages to customers via their mobile devices.
Telecom-Grade HLR Lookup for Carrier Verification
Currently, advanced HLR lookup for telecoms uses an HLR service to check mobile number portability status prior to attempting on-net message delivery (directly to the subscriber’s network). This is necessary because in many markets, termination fees are charged for off-net traffic and if the carrier that received the off-net traffic is not the original home network operator of the mobile phone, the message will be dropped.
However, obtaining complete country access to the MSIN database and global coverage requires a service provider with direct relationships with the mobile network operators to ensure more reliable and consistent HLR data. The right service can also help reduce latency on high-volume traffic for more responsive, reliable and cost-effective communication. Choosing the right HLR service for telecoms is key to enabling business messaging outcomes that are fast, robust and consistent.
