SMS Number Life Cycle Management
Airship uses carrier data and, optionally, the FCC’s Reassigned Numbers Database (RND) to remove or suppress US phone numbers that are no longer valid recipients.
Please note that this content is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be nor should be relied on as legal or compliance advice.
Different locations may have varying legal and privacy requirements for SMS/MMS/RCS notifications, so please verify with your legal or regulatory compliance team that your SMS/MMS/RCS usage, proposed use cases, and messaging configuration are compliant with applicable local laws and regulations.
The Airship Service provides customers with a platform for building successful SMS marketing programs by supporting compliance with laws and industry best practices as summarized in this document. These guidelines represent our current understanding of common compliance requirements generally applicable to Airship and our customers and do not constitute legal advice.
Default Carrier Deactivation Monitoring
Each day, US mobile carriers send Airship a list of phone numbers that are deactivated, disconnected, suspended, reassigned, or otherwise no longer eligible to receive messaging for the original subscriber. Because the list aggregates data only from participating carriers, it does not cover every US number.
The Airship Service applies carrier deactivation updates on a recurring schedule, uninstalling SMS channels for numbers found in carrier deactivation records and purging their message history.
Default carrier deactivation monitoring is enabled automatically for all US SMS customers.
Reassigned Numbers and the FCC RND
Phone numbers may be permanently disconnected and later reassigned to a new subscriber. Under the TCPA and similar regulations, consent generally applies to the current subscriber or customary user of a phone number. Messaging a reassigned number creates compliance risk when valid consent for the current subscriber no longer exists. In the US, the FCC’s Reassigned Numbers Database (RND) contains permanently disconnected or reassigned numbers and is comprehensive across all carriers.
FCC RND Scanning
Two FCC RND scanning services are available:
- Carrier deactivation RND scanning extends default carrier deactivation monitoring with FCC RND verification before permanent removal.
- Full audience RND scanning is an ad hoc scan of a customer-defined SMS audience against the FCC RND.
Contact your Airship account manager to add FCC RND scanning services to your account. They may be subject to additional commercial terms.
Carrier Deactivation RND Scanning
Carrier deactivation RND scanning adds FCC RND verification to default carrier deactivation monitoring. When enabled, Airship verifies carrier-deactivated US SMS numbers against the FCC RND before finalizing removal or suppression, and places deactivated numbers into a suppressed state during the RND check. Suppressed numbers are excluded from messaging until they are removed or restored.
Airship performs RND queries on a recurring basis for suppressed numbers, according to the FCC RND’s monthly update, to assess whether they were permanently disconnected after the date of consent. Numbers indicated as permanently disconnected or reassigned are removed or handled according to your configuration. Numbers not indicated as reassigned are restored from suppression.
Full Audience RND Scanning
A full audience RND scan is an ad hoc scan of US numbers in a customer-defined SMS list against the FCC RND. For each eligible number, Airship queries the FCC RND using the MSISDNThe mobile phone number, including country code, of a device in your Airship audience. Each MSISDN represents an individual mobile device. and the registered opt-in date to assess whether the number was reported as permanently disconnected or reassigned after the consent date.
Scans are performed on the customer’s behalf, according to the terms in the applicable order form. Results can help identify numbers that may no longer be associated with the original consenting subscriber, and are most relevant to the FCC safe harbor considerations below.
Comparison of Default and Optional Management Services
The following table compares SMS life cycle management services for US SMS customers:
| Default carrier deactivation monitoring | Carrier deactivation RND scanning | Full audience RND scanning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Availability | Enabled by default | Optional, may be subject to additional commercial terms | Optional, subject to the terms of the applicable order form |
| Uses FCC RND | No | Yes | Yes |
| Data source | Carrier deactivation files from participating US carriers — not all carriers participate | Carrier deactivation files verified against the FCC RND | FCC RND — comprehensive across US carriers as defined by the FCC program |
| Cadence | Recurring | Recurring, triggered by carrier deactivation | Ad hoc, one-time or periodic |
| Channel handling | Channels for deactivated numbers are uninstalled | Channels are suppressed during RND check, then removed or restored based on result | Customer decides based on results |
Real-Time Data Streaming
When Airship suppresses a channel during carrier deactivation processing, it reports an SMS carrier deactivation event in Real-Time Data StreamingA service that delivers user-level events in real time to your backend or third-party systems using the Data Streaming API.. Uninstall and suppression-removal actions from RND scanning are reported as SMS RND scan events. The source property on RND scan events indicates which service triggered the event: monthly_scan for recurring deactivation processing and app_scan for a full audience scan.
Customer Responsibilities
The FCC RND and Airship’s optional RND scanning services address US regulatory frameworks. They do not replace country-specific obligations elsewhere. Customers remain responsible for consent management, messaging decisions, and regulatory compliance. For full audience RND scans, customers are also responsible for scan scope, eligibility, and interpretation. Feature availability and pricing are subject to your agreement and may change. Confirm current capabilities with your Airship account team.
Manage suppression through the API or using Contact Management in the dashboard.
FCC Safe Harbor Considerations
The FCC’s RND framework may support TCPA safe harbor protection in some circumstances, such as when a number is queried within 30 days prior to messaging and the RND erroneously indicates the number has not been reassigned. Additional requirements must be met for the safe harbor to apply.
Safe harbor treatment depends on the facts, applicable law, and regulatory guidance. Airship does not guarantee safe harbor protection or any particular regulatory outcome. Use of RND-related features does not guarantee compliance with applicable laws or regulations and does not replace legal analysis.