Understanding MPS and speed of message delivery (SMS)

MPS (messages per second) or TPS (texts per second) are a common metric in the Telco world to identify the throughput of a specific number. Essentially, it establishes at what rates the carriers will absorb and dispatch your messages to the recipients.

Some measures also refer to TPM (texts per minute) which is an extension of TPS (TPM = TPS * 60).

There are a variety of factors that can affect your TPS, including:

The main differentiation is done based on number type (also referred to as a SenderID). In the US and Canada, there are 3 types of numbers:

Let’s look at the impact of each number on your campaigns and API sending.

Do note that the speed at which ClickSend sends through messages to the carriers is different than the speed at which the carriers absorb and deliver your messages.

Our API typically sends your messages at about 750 TPS to the carriers. Once there, they get dispatched based on the factors described below.

TFNs

Sinch ClickSend benefits from an upgraded throughput with the networks. TFNs are sent at 10 TPS vs. an industry standard of 3-4 TPS. This means standard campaigns on TFNs go out 3X faster with ClickSend.

Some TFNs may have unique TPS levels for Elections, Charities or sole proprietors. Check with our team as needed if you are in a specific category.

10DLCs

Basic 10DLCs

10DLC numbers have a tiered set of throughputs established by the 3 main carriers (AT&T, TMobile and Verizon). When you apply for the number, it is typically issued with a default daily cap of 2000 SMS/day (T Mobile) and about 1-4 Texts per second (AT&T). For many users, that’s plenty.

The TPS speed can then depend on the use-case for which you registered the campaign. For example:

From here, we can get your business get ‘Vetted’ which provides you a score and can increase your throughput (see Vetted 10DLCs).

If you’re sending messages via API through the day (like an appointment notification triggered by your CRM), then typically a standard 10DLC or TFN is amply sufficient as you are not likely to have more than 4 notifications per second. If your business is bigger and would cross that threshold, jump to Vetted 10DLCs.

If you’re sending large campaigns vs time-based messages triggered via API (say, a promotion for your charity’s upcoming event to 5000 recipients) you may need to get your campaign “vetted”.

Campaigns, Brands and Vetting

Note that the 10DLC registration from ClickSend already includes other costs like Brand registration, Set-up fees, Vetting fees and Campaign fees. We charge you a fixed rate so there are no surprises. ClickSend’s monthly fee includes all the above which covers your campaign and one number. You can find your campaigns in the dashboard under Manage Senders.

In the example below from the ClickSend dashboard, the campaign is CT6FL1Y and the number is (303)535-9404.

Yes, these are separate. When you register a campaign, you essentially register a use-case (like “2FA authentication”, “Political messaging” , or “billing reminders”). Under each campaign you can have up to 50 numbers. While your monthly fee includes the first number, each additional number will carry an additional monthly fee of around $3.

Vetted 10DLCs

Vetting is optional but is included in the price you pay ClickSend. Your vetting score will be determined by the TCR (The Campaign Registry) and is based on your business’ incorporation date, size, location and industry, among other factors. ClickSend will coordinate this vetting process for you and return a score.

This is why you have to fill out a form when purchasing a 10DLC. If you haven’t yet and are ready to do so, head to Buy a Number.

While there is a relatively complex matrix of scores between AT&T, TMO and Verizon, in general terms T Mobile sets limits as a Daily Cap and AT&T sets limits as Texts per Second.

So there are two key numbers to combine here:

These are concurrent and cumulative. Which means that when you send a campaign to a mix of recipients with Verizon, AT&T and TMobile, each will have their speed and daily caps, but your messages are going through to the various carriers at the same time.

Short Codes

Short Codes, Dedicated Short Codes or “DSC” for short, are the shorter version of a number you may have seen on billboards and other advertisements.

Short codes have some key benefits:

Short codes require a high bar to obtain, but can provide speeds of up to 500 messages per second with no daily max. This is the SenderID of choice for businesses requiring large volumes.

For more info on short codes, see https://blog.clicksend.com/sms-shortcodes/.

RCS

RCS (Rich Communication Services) is a next-generation messaging channel that works differently from SMS at a fundamental level: instead of riding carrier networks, RCS messages travel over the internet. This means the throughput model is entirely different — there are no carrier-imposed daily caps, no vetting scores, and no number types like TFNs or 10DLCs to worry about.

Instead of a phone number, your brand gets a verified sender agent — a registered identity that shows recipients your brand name, logo, and a verified checkmark. Think of it as SMS that knows who you are.

In terms of speed, RCS senders have a default throughput of 100 MPS, which can be increased based on your volume needs — just reach out to our team. As a reference point, that puts RCS comfortably above a standard 10DLC and in the same ballpark as a vetted high-score 10DLC, without any of the daily cap constraints.

It's worth noting that RCS is still maturing in the US market, so throughput specifics are evolving. Our team can walk you through what's available for your use case today.