Mobile carriers in the United States have announced that they will no longer be supporting shared SMS short codes (such as GOV311). This change is industry-wide, and will impact any and all US services using shared short codes. In anticipation of this restriction, Granicus is changing how we offer SMS numbers to our clients.
Note: UK and other international numbers are not impacted by this change.
Impact for current govDelivery customers
Granicus customers will no longer be able to use the GOV311 shared short code. Instead, every govDelivery account will come with a standard toll-free 10-digit phone number, and you can optionally upgrade to a high throughput toll-free number, or upgrade to a short code for higher sending volumes and speed. The new number options include:
| Number Type | Format | High sending volume? | Customizable? |
|---|
| Standard Toll-Free | 1-800-555-5555 | No | No |
| High Throughput Toll-Free | 1-800-555-5555 | Yes | No |
| Random Short Code | 486311
(5 or 6 digits) | Yes | No |
| Custom Short Code | 486311
(5 or 6 digits) | Yes | Yes |
Your Implementation or Success Consultant will work with you to determine which type of number is right for you. Prior to this discussion, consider whether you will be using the
Text to Subscribe feature in govDelivery. While
all number options support text-to-subscribe, short codes (Random or Custom) are often easier for constituents to text, helping you increase topic subscriptions.
