When a number is no longer active, mobile no active or not is usually reassigned to another user. When a business sends messages to such a number, it may violate the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and risk statutory penalties. In addition, the end user may get confused or annoyed about receiving a text message they did not request.
How do you check if a mobile number is valid or not?
This is why it’s important to validate whether a mobile phone number is still active or not before sending a message. A ‘No Active’ response means that the number is not connected to any wireless carrier or has been deactivated by the mobile operator. If a company calls such a number, they will likely receive a dial tones or an automated error-delivery prompt.
It’s not uncommon for a person to switch mobile operators for rates, service or promotions and give up their old number in the process. The old number is then deactivated by the mobile operator and reassigned to a new subscriber. This process is known as porting.
While there are many ways to verify a phone number is valid, network validation is the most accurate way. It uses the network to check a mobile number’s status by connecting directly to the carrier. This method returns the line type, original carrier and roaming status (only available for mobile numbers on less than 85% of carriers worldwide).
Infobip makes it easy for businesses to check their database lists against the mobile operators’ deactivation files by providing them with the Deact reports. Deact reports contain the list of phone numbers that have been deactivated or disconnected by each mobile operator.