This is very old tread, but had been actual for me (currently using kannel 1.4.5, tried also on kannel 1.5.0 development version).
No parameter change suggested not taking any effect on this issue and you will get consistent 1 msg/sec unless you change your config. I am using mysql for saving messages and delivery reports in DB and many opensmppbox connections (more than 20) which I am using for incoming MT traffic. So the problem resolution lies in configuration model. When opensmppbox receives message there is no need to store dlr in database, and this is also concern to bearerbox when it sent message to smsc. Just set dlr-storage = internal(which is default) for both opensmppbox and bearerbox and leave sqlbox to store your messages to DB. Finally take into consideration that this configuration requires reliable hardware and you should avoid to restart kannel in case you have any live traffic. Below is configuration which is working like charm. ############################### ------ CORE ------############################################### group=core admin-port = 16000 smsbox-port = 16001 admin-password = xxxx status-password = xxxx admin-allow-ip = xxxx admin-deny-ip = "*.*.*.*" log-file = "/var/log/kannel/bearerbox.log" log-level = 3 access-log = "/var/log/kannel/SentReceivedSMS.log" access-log-clean = true access-log-format = "%t %l [SMSC:%i] [SVC:%n] [ACT:%A] [BINF:%B] [FID:%F] [META:%D] [from:%p] [to:%P] [flags:%m:%c:%M:%C:%d] [msg:%L:%b] [udh:%U:%u]" unified-prefix = "374,+374,00374;3749,+09;37477,+077;3744,+04;37433,+033;3745,+05;" white-list-receiver-regex = ^[1-9][0-9]{10,12} box-allow-ip = "127.0.0.1;*.*.*.*" smsbox-max-pending = 1000 store-type = file store-location = /home/KANNEL /STORE dlr-storage = spool dlr-spool = /home/KANNEL /DLR ############################ ------ SMSBOX GROUP ---#################################### group = smsbox bearerbox-host = localhost bearerbox-port = 16005 sendsms-port = 16013 log-file = "/var/log/kannel/smsbox.log" log-level = 3 access-log = "/var/log/kannel/sms-access.log" sendsms-chars = "0123456789 +#._" ########################## ------ SQLBOX GROUP ---####################################### group=sqlbox id=sqlbox-db smsbox-id = sqlbox bearerbox-host = localhost bearerbox-port = 16001 smsbox-port = 16005 sql-log-table = SentTable sql-insert-table = ToBeSent log-file = "/var/log/kannel/Sqlbox.log" log-level = 3 group = mysql-connection id = sqlbox-db host = localhost username = xxxx password = xxxx database = xxxx max-connections = 20 group = sdb-connection id = sqlbox-db url = mysql:host=localhost:db=xxxx:uid=xxxx:pwd=xxxx #################################### ------ OPENSMPPBOX ----############################# group = core group = opensmppbox opensmppbox-id = MYSMPP opensmppbox-port = 13044 bearerbox-host = 127.0.0.1 bearerbox-port = 16005 log-level = 3 log-file = /var/log/kannel/opensmpplogs/ MYSMPP.log our-system-id = MYSMPP smpp-logins = /home/KANNEL /opensmppbox/ MYSMPP / MYSMPPlogin.txt use-systemid-as-smsboxid=true source-addr-ton = 5 source-addr-npi = 1 dest-addr-ton = 0 dest-addr-npi = 0 group = smpp-tlv name = dlr_err tag = 0x0427 type = octetstring length = 8 ######################################################################## ############## Hope this will help somebody. Regards, Ruben Melikyan