How to convert local phone numbers into international phone numbers

This article provides information on how to convert local telephone numbers into international ones. You can learn how to configure your SMS gateway to convert phone numbers into international numbers automatically to make mobile messaging easier and convenient. With this solution you can also prevent several problems deriving from the use of phone numbers in not the proper forms. Therefore by applying an outbound route condition you can be sure that your messages will arrive at the mobile devices of recipients.

Outbound route expression:

s/^.*(.{10})$/+3$1 /

First of all you need to apply an outbound route condition that will convert phone numbers automatically. Therefore if you enter s/^.*(.{10})$/+3$1 / into "Condition 2. (Recipient phone number)" field, you can easily achieve this function (Figure 1).

outbound route expression in the sms server
Figure 1 - Outbound route expression

Please note that in Hungary local phone numbers start with "06" while international number form means that "+36" is placed at the beginning of the phone number. In "s/^.*(.{10})$/+3$1 /" expression "10" refers to the fact that it counts back 10 from the end of the phone number and cuts down the numbers. "+3" refers to the fact that it places "+3" at the beginning of the phone number (in this way it becomes an international phone number that starts with "+36" as it cuts down "0" from the beginning of the phone number and replaces it by "+3").

You can freely configure this expression by changing the numbers in it according to the local phone numbers of your country.

To demonstrate this solution I send a test message and I define a local phone number (06301122334) as a recipient phone number (Figure 2).

sending a test message in the sms gateway
Figure 2 - Test message with a local phone number

In the Events of "admin" user in Ozeki NG SMS Gateway you can see that the message has been sent out with local phone number (starts with 06) but it arrives at the SMS center with international phone number (starts with +36), due to the regular expression of outbound route (Figure 3).

sent message in the sms gateway
Figure 3 - Sent message at the events

Figure 4 shows the Events of SMPP service provider connection in Ozeki NG SMS Gateway. You can see that the sent message has been sent in international form.

sent message at the smpp service provider
Figure 4 - Sent message at the SMPP service provider

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