everything you wanted to decode about sms aggregators

Decoding the Role of An SMS aggregator :

An SMS Aggregator aggregates SMS from operators and distributes ahead in retail or wholesale market. An Aggregator of SMS uses multiple SMS Gateway tie-ups for SMS routing and relays the text messages using various routing methods 

WHAT EXACTLY DO SMS AGGREGATORS DO:SMS Aggregators connect the application providers to the carriers. ( Application providers  literally provide the software application (the actual system you use to send the messages to subscribers).). SMS Aggregators meanwhile act as a gateway to enforce the compliance regulations set forth by the CTIA and individual carriers. They act as a gateway to send and receive messages and content like ringtones. They also offer a premium SMS gateway so marketers can make money with text messaging. Aggregators charge a per-message fee if the traffic is non-premium, or take a share of your content revenue if you are using premium SMS. 

All SMS traffic must go through an approved aggregator in order to reach the carrier networks. Aggregators also help to get your short code provisioned. 

Why do SMS Aggregators exist when SMS providers can send and receive short code messages directly with the wireless carriers. 

There's actually two reasons why it's not practical for application providers to work directly with wireless carriers and send and receive their text messages 

1)First each country has thousands of application providers, so if each application provider worked directly with the wireless carriers, this would put a significant amount of work on each wireless carrier. Not only would each application provider require their own contract with the wireless carriers, but the wireless carriers would have to onboard and support each application provider individually. The wireless carriers just don't have the infrastructure or resources to provide these services to each application provider individually. 

2)The second reason that application providers don't work directly with wireless carriers, is that the majority of application providers don't have the infrastructure or resources to do so. If an application provider were to connect directly to each wireless carrier, that would require contracts with over 30 wireless carriers, and would require the application provider to have the infrastructure and resources to build 30-plus connections. The primary job of an SMS aggregator is to build and maintain all the relationships with the wireless carriers, and provide one contract and one connection to each application provider. 

What are Tier 1 & Tier 2 SMS Aggregators 

There are differences though between SMS aggregators, and the main differences are whether an SMS aggregator is a tier 1 SMS aggregator, or a tier 2 SMS aggregator.

 To be classified as a tier 1 SMS aggregator, they must have both SMS & MMS capabilities, and must have direct connections (SMPP) to at least 4 of the 5 major wireless carriers, which include AT&T, Sprint/NEXTEL, T-Mobile USA, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless. 

 To be classified as a tier 2 SMS aggregator, they may only have SMS capabilities, and must have direct connections (SMPP) to at least 3 of the 5 major wireless carriers, which include AT&T, Sprint/NEXTEL, T-Mobile USA, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon Wireless.