CardBoardFish

Technical Document

NextGen Mobile Ltd

Delivery Report Error Codes

Address: First Floor, Saxon House
John Roberts Business Park
Pean Hill, Whitstable
CT5 3BJ

w: www.cardboardfish.com
t: 0845 125 9445
f: 0845 280 2230
e: sales@corp.cardboardfish.com

Mobile Messaging

The Next Generation of

Specialists in SMS

CardBoardFish continues to achieve an impeccable

reputation for providing exceptional high quality and
reliable reporting.

Delivery Report Error Code List - Last Updated: 19/11/2012

Hex

Decimal

Error Name

Duration

Error From

Relating To

SMSC Retries

Description

No Error

Permanent

MSC

Mobile Handset

No

Message delivered successfully.

Unknown Subscriber

Permanent

HLR

Destination Network

No

The MSISDN is invalid or no longer active.

Unknown Subscriber
-npdbMismatch

Permanent

MSC

Destination Network

No

Fault in Number Portability Database

or HLR of MSISDN range holder. Occurs
more frequently if number ported more
than once in certain countries.

Unidentified
Subscriber

Temporary

MSC

Destination Network

Yes

Occurs when the MSC that a message

has been sent to is not aware of the
subscriber IMSI. Suggests HLR has not
been updated or MSC malfunction.

Illegal Subscriber

Temporary

MSC

Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to failed authentication or

filtering.

10

No Translation
for Address

Permanent

TRANSPORT

Signalling

No

Destination number is not a valid

mobile number or its routing cannot
be determined.

11

Teleservice Not
Provisioned

Permanent

HLR

Mobile Handset/
Destination Network

No

Rejection due to subscription not

supporting SMS.

12

Illegal Equipment

Temporary

MSC

Mobile Handset/
Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to subscriber handset

or network not supporting SMS.

13

Call Barred

Temporary

HLR

Mobile Handset/
Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to subscriber or network

not allowing SMS.

15

21

Facility Not
Supported

Temporary

MSC

Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to subscription not

supporting SMS.

1B

27

Absent Subscriber

Temporary

HLR

Mobile Handset

Yes

Subscriber handset is not logged onto

the network due to it being turned off
or out of coverage. Likely to have been
unavailable for 12 hours or more.

1C

28

Absent Subscriber
no-page-response

Temporary

MSC

Mobile Handset

Yes

Subscriber handset is not reachable on

the network due to it being turned off or
out of coverage. Likely to have very
recently become unavailable.

1D

29

Absent Subscribr
IMSI-detached

Temporary

MSC

Mobile Handset

Yes

Subscriber handset is not reachable on

the network due to it being turned off or
out of coverage. Likely to have been
unavailable for several hours.

1E

30

Controlling
MSC Failure

Temporary

MSC

Destination Network

Yes

The MSC that the subscriber is currently

registered to is experiencing a fault.

1F

31

Subscriber Busy
For MT-SM

Temporary

MSC

Mobile Handset

Yes

MSC is busy handling an existing

transaction with the handset.
The subscriber could be currently
receiving an SMS at exactly the same
time.

20

32

Equipment
NotSM-Equipped

Temporary

MSC

Mobile Handset

Yes

Receiving handset or equipment does

not support SMS or an SMS feature.
This is temporary because the subscriber
could switch to a different device.

21

33

Memory Capacity
Exceeded

Temporary

HLR

Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to subscriber handset

not having the memory capacity to
receive the message. Likely to have
been in this state for 12 hours or more.

22

34

System Failure

Temporary

MSC

Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to SS7 protocol or

network failure.

23

35

Data Missing

Temporary

MSC

Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to subscriber network

decoding error or signaling fault.

24

36

Unexpected
Data Value

Temporary

MSC

Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to subscriber network

decoding error or signalling fault.

25

37

System Failure

Temporary

HLR

Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to SS7 protocol or

network failure.

26

38

Data Missing

Temporary

HLR

Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to subscriber network

decoding error or signaling fault.

27

39

Unexpected
Data Value

Temporary

HLR

Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to subscriber network

decoding error or signaling fault.

Continued...

Delivery Report Error Code List (Cont.)

Hex

Decimal

28

40

8C

Error Name

Duration

Error From

Relating To

SMSC Retries

Description

Memory Capacity
Exceeded

Temporary

MSC

Destination Network

Yes

Rejection due to subscriber handset

not having the memory capacity to
receive the message. Likely to have run
out of capacity recently.

140

Invalid Message
Component

Temporary

SMSC

Message Construction

Yes

Internal SMSC error due to invalid

message syntax.

A0

160

SS7 Communication
Error

Temporary

SMSC

Destination Network/
Signalling

Yes

Internal SMSC error caused by SS7

link/dialogue fault.

C8

200

Unable to
decode response

Temporary

SMSC

Destination Network/
Signalling

Yes

SMSC cannot decode the response

received from destination network due to
an encoding or protocol fault.

C9

201

Provider Abort

Temporary

TRANSPORT

Destination Network/
Signalling

Yes

Subscriber network or signalling partner

has terminated the signalling connection,
preventing message transmission.

CA

202

User Abort

Temporary

TRANSPORT

Destination Network/
Signalling

Yes

Subscriber network or signalling partner

has rejected the signalling connection,
preventing message transmission.

CB

203

Timeout

Temporary

TRANSPORT

Destination Network/
Signalling

Yes

Subscriber network not receiving packets

from SMSC, or not responding to them.
Alternatively, a 3rd party signalling
partner may not be routing correctly.

CD

205

Timeout-PAB

Temporary

TRANSPORT

Destination Network/
Signalling

Yes

Subscriber network or signalling partner

has not responded to signalling
connection setup or maintenance
packets.

CE

206

Rejected

Permanent

TRANSPORT

Destination Network

No

Subscriber network refuses signalling

connection or message packet.

CF

207

Local Cancel

Permanent

CARRIER

SMSC Partner Routing/

Signalling

No

Signalling with destination network has

been prevented by SMSC partner or
signalling partner.

12C

300

Screening or Blocking

Permanent

CARRIER

SMSC Partner Routing/

Signalling

No

SMSC partner or 3rd party signalling

partner has prevented messages being
sent to this MSISDN or destination network.

12D

301

Carrier Syntax Error

Permanent

CARRIER

SMSC Partner Platform/

Message Construction

No

SMSC partner has rejected the message

due to an unacceptable message
parameter.

12E

302

Carrier Internal Error

Temporary

CARRIER

SMSC Partner Platform

Yes

SMSC partner could not process this

message due to a platform fault, but it
will be retried.

12F

303

Carrier Internal Error

Permanent

CARRIER

SMSC Partner Platform

No

SMSC partner could not process this

message due to a platform fault and it
will not be retried.

130

304

Carrier Routing Error

Temporary

CARRIER

SMSC Partner Platform

/Signalling

Yes

SMSC partner cannot route this message

currently, but it will be retried.

131

305

Carrier Routing Error

Permanent

CARRIER

SMSC Partner Platform

/Signalling

No

SMSC partner cannot route this message

and it wil not be retried.

3E7

999

Congestion

Temporary

TRANSPORT

Destination Network
/Signalling

Yes

SS7 signalling link at destination network,

SMSC, or 3rd party signalling partner is
overloaded.

Terminology:

MSISDN
MSC
HLR
SMSC
SS7
MNP
IMSI
Subscriber

Mobile Subscriber Integrated Services Digital Network - The mobile number in international format.
Mobile Switching Centre - The destination network equipment that receives an SMS (via forward-SM operation) in a destination mobile network.
Home Location Register - The destination network equipment that returns status and routing information about an MSISDN to the SMSC (via SRI-SM operation).
Short Message Service Centre - The equipment belonging to CardBoardFish or one of its carriers that transmits SMS to the destination network via SS7.
Signalling System 7 - The transport protocol that interconnects global GSM networks.
Mobile Number Portability - The process of a subscriber moving from one mobile network to another, but retaining the same MSISDN.
International Mobile Subscriber Identity - A unique identification number which identifies the destination country, actual network, and network subscriber ID.
The mobile user who has a SIM card.