SMS gateway for Ethiopia: send SMS from your own Ethiopia number
Published and updated
An Android phone holding a Ethiopia SIM sends the messages, so the API call goes out over that SIM and recipients see the +251 number that sent it. Any Android phone with an Ethiopia SIM that can send SMS runs the textbee app. Under SIM Card Registration Directive No. 799/2021 an operator may not activate a SIM until it has registered the subscriber details, and activation is defined to include the ability to send short message services. The SIM keeps its own carrier plan, and textbee is $9.99 a month at 5,000 messages on top of it.
How it works with a local SIM
- Put a Ethiopia SIM in an Android phone that stays on and on power, and install the textbee app on it.
- Register the device from the dashboard, which pairs the phone with your API key.
- Call
POST /gateway/send-smswith the recipient in E.164 form. The phone sends it over the SIM and reports the result back.
What it costs at 1K, 5K and 25K messages
| Provider | 1K messages | 5K messages | 25K messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio | $343.65$342.50 messages, $1.15 number | $1,713.65$1,712.50 messages, $1.15 number | $8,563.65$8,562.50 messages, $1.15 number |
| Ethio telecom Quarterly Mobile Package, 840 minutes and 36 GB, 300 SMS in the package table | Above the plan100 SMS a month for ETB 1,275 per 90 days | Above the plan100 SMS a month for ETB 1,275 per 90 days | Above the plan100 SMS a month for ETB 1,275 per 90 days |
| Ethio telecom Quarterly Mobile Package, 2000 minutes and 36 GB, 300 SMS in the package table | Above the plan100 SMS a month for ETB 1,635 per 90 days | Above the plan100 SMS a month for ETB 1,635 per 90 days | Above the plan100 SMS a month for ETB 1,635 per 90 days |
| textbee | $9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included | $9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included | $29.99Scale plan, up to 25,000 messages included |
textbee plans include the messages shown. There is no per message fee, number rental or carrier surcharge.
Provider prices checked on September 4, 2026
The textbee plan is the platform fee and the SIM plan is what the carrier charges for the messages, so a local setup costs the plan price plus the SIM.
Rules for application to person SMS in Ethiopia
- Article 19 of the Ethiopian Communications Authority SIM Card Registration Directive No. 799/2021 forbids an operator from activating a SIM card until it has registered the subscriber details, and defines activation to include sending and receiving short message services. eca.et, checked on September 4, 2026
- The Telecommunications Consumer Rights and Protection Directive No. 832/2021 defines consent as a freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the consumer wishes, and bars a licensee from selling, sharing or exposing consumer personal data to a third party without explicit consent. eca.et, checked on September 4, 2026
Quickstart
curl -X POST https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"recipients": ["+251911234567"], "message": "Your textbee code is 482913. It expires in 10 minutes."}'On a dual SIM phone, pass simSubscriptionId to pick the SIM the message goes out on, as the send reference describes.
Format and check Ethiopia numbers
The API takes E.164, which for Ethiopia looks like +251911234567, so strip any local trunk prefix before you send.
Result
Enter a phone number above.
Use E.164 format (e.g. +15551234567) for textbee.dev API recipients.
Count segments
A message over one segment is sent as more than one SMS, so it draws more than once on the SIM plan.
Result
- Characters: 54
- Encoding: GSM-7
- Segments: 1 SMS
- 1 segment = 1 SMS
GSM-7: 160 chars per segment (153 for multi-part). Unicode/emoji: 70 chars per segment (67 for multi-part). Carriers may charge per segment.
Honest limits
One phone sends roughly 10 to 15 messages a minute, so a large blast takes time to drain. Carriers can filter bulk patterns on consumer SIMs. Marketing messages still need consent from the recipient under the local rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use an Ethiopian SIM in a gateway phone without registering it?
No. Article 19 of the SIM Card Registration Directive No. 799/2021 says an operator shall not activate a SIM card unless it has registered the subscriber details, and the directive defines activation to include the ability to send and receive short message services.
What consent rules apply to contact data in Ethiopia?
The Telecommunications Consumer Rights and Protection Directive No. 832/2021 defines consent as a freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the consumer wishes, and bars a licensee from selling, sharing or exposing a consumer personal data to a third party without explicit consent.
Which Ethio telecom package includes SMS for a gateway phone?
The Ethio telecom long validity page lists a Quarterly Mobile Package of 840 minutes plus 36 GB for ETB 1,275 valid 90 days, and its package table shows 300 SMS in the quarterly package. The page states the SIM must be active before you can buy and use the package.
Sources
- SMS rules Ethiopia, eca.et, checked on September 4, 2026
- SMS rules Ethiopia, eca.et, checked on September 4, 2026
- Ethio telecom Quarterly Mobile Package, 840 minutes and 36 GB, 300 SMS in the package table, checked on September 4, 2026
- Twilio SMS pricing, Ethiopia, checked on September 4, 2026