FOOD FOR THOUGHT BulkVS.com -- Great Origination/Termination/TF rates!

[mannen]

Hi,

First post here but have been following for quite a while, lots of good information!

I signed up for BulkVS but I've not been able to get the LRN lookup to work.
The instructions say: Example 1: http://lrn.bulkCNAM.com/?id=(YOUR ID)&did=(TELEPHONE NUMBER)&ani=(TELEPHONE NUMBER)&format=simple

But what ID should I use? Tried both the account username as well as my API token but nothing works. I've opened a ticket with them to check their support.

Also, is anyone using them with LCR? I could of course import a route with
1,USA,0.004

but then I run the risk of sending traffic to Barbados, Canada, directory assistance etc. Does anyone have a csv file that can be used? How do you handle the 80%/20% RBOC/non-RBOC termination requirement?

Edit: They already replied to my ticket, that was fast! The answer is to use the SOAP API KEY as the ID.

 

[mannen]

Since no one answered/seemed interested, I created a file based on the latest NPA database and in the spirit of sharing with the community, I've attached it to this post.

Please do check it and let me know if I interpreted the EULA correctly.

If there is interest in the file, I can schedule a periodic update as soon as the NANPA dial plan gets updated and publish in a repo on github and share the link here.

Does anyone know how taxes are calculated? Are they added on top of the 0.004?

 

[atsak]

The taxes I see on my invoice are just the USF fee, and I believe Canada termination is the same price as US except I think for the territories (ie way way out there) and probably Thunder Bay (because something weird went on there).

 

[wardmundy]

New BulkVS SMS and MMS rates announced today...

 

[krzykat]

New BulkVS SMS and MMS rates announced today...

They don't allow off-net though, do they?

 

[w1ve]

They don't allow off-net though, do they?

I don't think so. Signalwire an alternative:

 

[wardmundy]

The Bell Sisters are tired of footing the bill for the SMS tsunami. Verizon already is charging a network access fee, and you can bet AT&T won't be far behind. Will be interesting to see what T-Mobile does.

 

[w1ve]

Yep. I was starting an SMS-based business, but the model is so in flux right now I bagged it.

 

[phinphan]

forgive my ignorance. What is off-net capability in this context?

 

[Halea]

In this case it means that they can even handle sms/mms messages on DIDs which are not ported to them.
There is a verification process, which I am not sure how they do.
I remember reading on BulkVS' website that they can do it but it requires special handling through support.

 

[phinphan]

Thank you @Halea.

 

[James Young]

I would like to see a windows program that handles SMS to and from Bulkvs.com. Easy peasy so the customer can use SMS like a cell phone. My use case is a customer that started the business with a cell phone number and everyone has that number and knows they can text it. The business has grown and they want to port the number for the Incredible PBX that I am going to sell them. They need SMS on a Windows or Mac so the can continue SMS heaven

 

[Halea]

@James Young : Your use case scenario could be satisfied with the gateway script that I posted here a little while ago. It's not a Windows program. It's a pair of php scripts that convey any incoming sms to a designated email user and any email reply to such messages back to the originating sms number. You would install these php scripts on your PBX server. They work with BulkVS DIDs.
Basically your customer would interact with his favorite email reader, whether it's on his computer or on his cell phone as a smart app.

 

[krzykat]

In this case it means that they can even handle sms/mms messages on DIDs which are not ported to them.
There is a verification process, which I am not sure how they do.
I remember reading on BulkVS' website that they can do it but it requires special handling through support.

Are you saying you read that they can handle off-net?

 

[Halea]

Are you saying you read that they can handle off-net?

Yes that's my recollection/understanding. That said it would make sense to ask confirmation from BulkVS. I'll ask them to be sure.

 

[Brianmac]

I would like to see a windows program that handles SMS to and from Bulkvs.com. Easy peasy so the customer can use SMS like a cell phone. My use case is a customer that started the business with a cell phone number and everyone has that number and knows they can text it. The business has grown and they want to port the number for the Incredible PBX that I am going to sell them. They need SMS on a Windows or Mac so the can continue SMS heaven

might not fit as its outside iPBX that you are selling them...
Look into textnow.com. You get a free number(ad supported) or can port to them, then its a windows desktop app or web version that handles txtmsg to and from that number. It looks like instant messaging, but with txtmsg. Had used this for a receptionist at a salon who was tired of using her cell as clients wanted to txt... just something to look into. I have NO affiliation with them, either...

 

[krzykat]

@w1ve - what would it take to have something like above assuming the carrier has a nice API to facilitate the send/receive portion? Thinking carrier-independent

 

[Halea]

Are you saying you read that they can handle off-net?

Yes that's my recollection/understanding. That said it would make sense to ask confirmation from BulkVS. I'll ask them to be sure.

@krzykat : Just got a reply back to my inquiry with BulkVS' support folks.
They confirm that they can indeed handle off-net SMS, so in that regard my understanding was correct. But they also mentioned that they would do it only for large number of DIDs, like 1,000+.

 

[krzykat]

@Halea thanks a lot. I have a lot of DID's, hundreds, but not thousands LOL. Appreciate your efforts.

 

[Halea]

@Halea thanks a lot. I have a lot of DID's, hundreds, but not thousands LOL. Appreciate your efforts.

If you are considering a 3 digit figure, even in the low hundred, get in touch with them. They might consider housing your sms uplink. I don't think that they will be offended and worse case they will say "can't do it".
I already moved the bulk of my DIDs to them except for my international ones and I'm trying to figure out if I can just move the sms service on those. Uncoupling might be an option, but I don't have that kind of volume either.