On December 3, 1992, the first SMS message was sent—a simple “Merry Christmas”. Since then, SMS has evolved from a novelty to a central communications channel for many businesses, including broadband service providers (BSPs). It’s a direct, essential, two-way communication method consumers expect and appreciate. As SMS usage has grown, it has become a powerful tool for managing customer relationships and enhancing the customer experience.
As of today, GOCare BSP customers have sent almost 10 million outage notification SMS messages and hundreds of millions of SMS messages supporting a wide range of communications.
The Importance of A2P Compliance and Subscriber Trust
Ensuring compliance with A2P (Application-to-Person) campaign regulations, and establishing a well-defined opt-in and opt-out process, is crucial for building trust and protecting consumer rights.
In an Infosurv survey we sponsored, 49% of consumers expressed a preference for texting their service provider over speaking to a person. Even more strongly, 65% of broadband customer respondents indicated their willingness to opt in to SMS-based communications from their providers.
We’ve found that GOCare customers experience opt-in rates typically greater than 75% and, for some, greater than 90% of subscribers. Generally speaking, we find that broadband subscribers do NOT opt out of messaging. We have found that proactively notifying customers with information ahead of their requests adds value and drives loyalty.
Why SMS Is Effective for Customer Communication
The strength of SMS lies in its versatility and reach. While emails have an average open rate of 20%, SMS marketing has an incredible 98% average open rate. While it usually takes people around 90 minutes to open an email, with SMS, users open the message within 90 seconds. SMS is a powerful way to capture attention outside the clutter of other marketing channels.
This makes SMS an invaluable channel for delivering timely information, whether for announcements, service notifications, or customer support. For BSPs, SMS can play a critical role in customer experience management by keeping subscribers informed and engaged at every step of their journey.
Network Operation Notifications: Keeping Subscribers Informed
SMS is also essential for operational communications, such as network maintenance and outage alerts. When unexpected outages occur, customers want timely and transparent updates. SMS provides a direct line to subscribers, reducing frustration and support call volume by keeping customers informed in real time about restoration timelines.
SMS for Customer Support and Self-Service
Customer support is another area where SMS shines. Many consumers prefer the simplicity of texting over waiting on hold for a call center. By offering SMS as a customer support channel, broadband service providers can meet customers where they already are—on their phones. It also provides opportunities for automation, allowing customers to get quick answers through self-care features such as billing inquiries, usage updates, or troubleshooting guides. Payments are another important use case, as 69% of consumers want to receive payment-related texts (Text Request, 2023).
Collecting Feedback with SMS
SMS is also a powerful tool for gathering feedback, such as Net Promoter Score™ (NPS) surveys or feedback after transactions like installations or support ticket resolution. BSPs can quickly gauge customer sentiment, respond to issues, and use insights to improve service quality and customer loyalty. For GOCare customers, SMS surveys yield an average response rate of over 20%. Our customer Home Telecom indicated that its survey response rates increased four times compared to using emails.
SMS as an Essential Channel for Broadband Providers
The power of SMS isn’t just in broadcasting messages; it’s also in fostering genuine two-way communication. Whether through proactive service updates or handling support requests, SMS makes interactions more personal and efficient.
We work with our BSP customers to consistently deliver valuable information to subscribers with a two-way communications channel that enables them to avoid making phone calls. A survey from MobileSquared found that 70% of consumers feel SMS is an effective way for businesses to get their attention—a sign that SMS is not only accepted but preferred.
For modern broadband providers, SMS is no longer an optional channel. It’s an essential part of managing customer experiences, ensuring subscribers stay informed, supported, and valued. As SMS continues to evolve, it remains one of the most reliable ways to keep customers at the heart of communication efforts.
Do you want to add SMS to your communications mix and support some or all of these use cases? Our Digital Experience Platform makes it easy and integrates into the technology stack you use today. Get in touch.
VP, Marketing & Partners
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