Key Takeaways
- Scenario 610 is school-roll USSD (*77# present/absent), not WASH pumps, agri weather, or clinic triage.
- A timeout mid-class is radio weather, never an absence in the EMIS.
- Parent “your child is out” SMS is a different radio after a confirmed mark — not the USSD modem.
- Child names and IDs do not belong in Slack screenshots of menus.
- Priced by devices and SMS send volume. You use your own phone and operator SMS credit. Free: 1 device, 300 SMS lifetime, 300 contacts. Developer: 25,000 SMS per year.
Android SMS gateway scenario 610 is an education NGO or district that lets teachers mark a class through a USSD tree when data is poor. The Android runs canaries and parent-notify SMS after a confirmed mark. The failure is writing timeouts into the official roll.
Priced by devices and SMS send volume. You use your own phone and operator SMS credit. USSD · Developer Center. GSMA.
timeout — resume, do not mark absent
Roll call, not a blast
Document codes per MNO. Canary after carrier promo weeks. Parent SMS fires only after a saved mark.
If a timeout marks the child absent, your EMIS is a coverage map, not a register.
Attendance USSD vs parent SMS
| Work | Radio | Device | Consent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class tree | USSD | Teacher / monitor | School programme |
| Parent absent SMS | SMS | Ops pool | Guardian contact |
| PTA / donor | SMS | Other MSISDN | STOP |
Caps: 2 / 5 / 15.
Timeout ≠ absent
Backoff. Dual-slot maps drift. Dual SIM. REST: PHP, C#. MCP wraps REST.
Devices and prepaid
Priced by devices and SMS send volume. You use your own phone and operator SMS credit. Free: 300 lifetime. Developer: 25,000 SMS per year. Pricing.
Monday 08:10
Name who tops up. Setup · STOP on PTA lanes.
Child rolls
Restrict session pulls. Rotate keys.
Paper register
If USSD is unstable, paper first, SMS parents later. Keep Android for ops SMS.
Checklist
- Timeout ≠ absence.
- Parent SMS after confirmed mark.
- Roll modem ≠ PTA SIM.
- Codes per MNO.
- Prepaid owner named.
Next steps
Drop a canary mid-roll; prove EMIS does not write absent. Downloads · Docs.
Related product pages
Jump to the live product docs for this topic—not another long-form article.
- USSD balance and menu automationOperator USSD codes
- SMS API documentationLive endpoint reference
- device and SMS volume pricingPlans and allowances
- Android SMS gateway product guideDefinition, product, and how to buy
