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How SMS Works
by Jennifer Hord

Just when we're finally used to seeing everybody constantly talking
on their cell phones, it suddenly seems like no one is talking at all.
Instead, they're typing away on tiny numerical pads, using their cell
phones to send quick messages. SMS, or text messaging, has
replaced talking on the phone for a new "thumb generation" of
texters.
In this article, we'll find out how text messaging works, explore its
uses and learn why it sometimes takes a while for your text
message to get to its recipient.
What is SMS?
SMS stands for short message service. Simply put, it is a method of
communication that sends text between cell phones, or from a PC or
handheld to a cell phone. The "short" part refers to the maximum size
of the text messages: 160 characters (letters, numbers or symbols in
the Latin alphabet). For other alphabets, such as Chinese, the
maximum SMS size is 70 characters.
But how do SMS messages actually get to your phone? If you have
read How Cell Phones Work, you can actually see what is happening.
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Howstuffworks "How SMS Works"
SMS Attacks
Recently it has been suggested
that SMS messages could be
used to attack a cell phone
system. The basic idea is very
simple. If a large number of
SMS messages were sent by
computers to phones in a small
geographical area (like a city),
these messages would
overwhelm the control channels
and make it impossible for the
cell phone system to set up
calls. Now that cell phone
providers know about the
possibility of this threat, they
can design systems to throttle
messages coming from the
SMSC onto the network.
Even if you are not talking on your cell phone, your phone is
constantly sending and receiving information. It is talking to its cell
phone tower over a pathway called a control channel. The reason
for this chatter is so that the cell phone system knows which cell your
phone is in, and so that your phone can change cells as you move
around. Every so often, your phone and the tower will exchange a
packet of data that lets both of them know that everything is OK.
Your phone also uses the control channel for call setup. When
someone tries to call you, the tower sends your phone a message
over the control channel that tells your phone to play its ring tone.
The tower also gives your phone a pair of voice channel frequencies
to use for the call.
The control channel also provides the pathway for SMS messages.
When a friend sends you an SMS message, the message flows
through the SMSC, then to the tower, and the tower sends the
message to your phone as a little packet of data on the control
channel. In the same way, when you send a message, your phone sends it to the tower on the control
channel and it goes from the tower to the SMSC and from there to its destination.
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The actual data format for the message includes things like the length of the message, a time stamp,
the destination phone number, the format, etc. For a complete byte-by-byte breakdown of the
message format, see this page.
In the next section we'll learn about some of the uses and advantages of SMS.
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Why 160 Characters?
SMS was designed to deliver short bursts of data such as
numerical pages. To avoid overloading the system with more than
the standard forward-and-response operation, the inventors of
SMS agreed on a 160-character maximum message size.
But the 160-character limit is not absolute. Length limitations may
vary depending on the network, phone model and wireless carrier.
Some phones don't allow you to keep typing once the 160-
character limit is reached. You must send your message before
continuing. However, some services will automatically break any
message you send into chunks of 160 characters or less. So, you
can type and send a long message, but it will be delivered as
several messages.
Why use SMS?
SMS has several advantages. It is more discreet than a phone
conversation, making it the ideal form for communicating when you
don't want to be overheard. It is often less time-consuming to send a
text message than to make a phone call or send an e-mail. SMS
doesn't require you to be at your computer like e-mail and instant
messaging (IM) do -- although some phones are equipped for
mobile e-mail and IM services. SMS is also a convenient way for
deaf and hearing-impaired people to communicate.
SMS is a store-and-forward service, meaning that when you send a
text message to a friend, the message does not go directly to your
friend's cell phone. The advantage of this method is that your
friend's cell phone doesn't have to be active or in range for you to
send a message. The message is stored in the SMSC (for days if
necessary) until your friend turns his cell phone on or moves into
range, at which point the message is delivered. The message will
remain stored on your friend's SIM card until he deletes it.
In addition to person-to-person messages, SMS can be used to
send a message to a large number of people at a time, either from a
list of contacts or to all the users within a particular area. This
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service is called broadcasting and is used by companies to contact
groups of employees or by online services to distribute news and
other information to subscribers.
In a 2004 University of Plymouth study on the psychology of SMS
users, researchers found that mobile phone users were primarily
either "texters" or "talkers" [ref]. Compared to the talkers, the texters
sent nearly double the number of SMS messages and made less
than half as many voice calls per month. The texters preferred SMS
to voice calls for its convenience as well as for the ability to review a
message before sending it.
Companies have come up with many uses for the service beyond
just your typical person-to-person message. Because SMS doesn't
overload the network as much as phone calls, it is frequently used
by TV shows to let viewers vote on a poll topic or for a contestant.
As a promotional tool, wireless carriers put up giant screens at
concerts and other large-scale events to display text messages from
people in the audience.
You can use text messaging subscription services to get medication
reminders sent to your phone, along with weather alerts, news
headlines or even novels broken into 160-character "chapters." Internet search engines such as
Yahoo! and Google have short messaging services that enable users to get information such as
driving directions, movie showtimes or local business listings just by texting a query to the search
engine's phone number. Social networking services such as Dodgeball use SMS to alert people who
live in big cities when their friends or crushes are nearby. The possibilities for integrating SMS into
your lifestyle seem endless.
Naturally, SMS has limitations, and there are some people who feel it has outlived its usefulness. In
the next section, we'll look at the disadvantages of SMS and some of the alternatives out there.
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SMS History
SMS was created during the late 1980s to work with a digital
technology called GSM (global system for mobile communications),
which is the basis for most modern cell phones. The Norwegian
engineers who invented it wanted a very simple messaging system
that worked when users' mobile phones were turned off or out of
signal range. Most sources agree that the first SMS message was
sent in the UK in 1992.
As SMS was born in Europe, it's not surprising that it took a little
longer to make its way to the United States. Even today, texting
enjoys much greater popularity in Europe, though its stateside use
is on the rise. A July 2005 study found that 37 percent of U.S.
mobile phone owners had sent or received at least one text
message in the previous month [ref].
SMS Criticism and Alternatives
SMS in the News
Because of the impersonal
nature of SMS, it raises certain
questions of etiquette -- namely,
what kind of information is OK to
send in a text instead of
delivering it in person?
Recently, several people have
sought legal action after they
were fired or notified of divorce
proceedings via SMS.
Broadcast text messages have
been used to rally political
activists in Beijing and to
mobilize young people for riots
in Belfast. Recently, a contest
pitted the efficiency of SMS
against Morse code (the Morse
coders won).
Despite their popularity, short messaging services have recieved
some criticism. Here are a few of the disadvantages:
G You have to pay for it. Most wireless plans charge for a certain
number of text messages a month. Some only charge for user-
originated messages, while others charge for incoming
messages as well. If you exceed your message allowance, you
may be charged 10 cents per message, and those little
charges can add up.
G Speedy message delivery is not guaranteed. During periods of
high traffic, it might be minutes or even hours before a
message gets through.
G It's strictly for sending text messages. SMS does not support
sending pictures, video or music files.
Alternative messaging services allow for more elaborate types of
messages. With EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service), you can send
formatted text, sound effects, small pictures and icons. MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) allows
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you to send animations, audio and video files in addition to text. If your mobile phone is EMS- or MMS-
enabled, you can use these standards just as you would SMS. However, the cost per message will be
higher.
Another alternative to using SMS is using an instant messaging program, such as AOL IM, on your
cell phone. This can be in the form of software that's pre-installed on your phone, or you can use WAP
(Wireless Application Protocol) to access the Internet and sign into your IM account. WAP is a
protocol that gives you small, simplified versions of web pages that are easily navigable on your
mobile phone or PDA (check out How WAP Works for more information). You can use it to send
instant messages or actual e-mails from your phone.
A common complaint about SMS is its inefficient delivery structure -- when the message center is
backed up, messages take longer to reach their destination. To make message delivery faster,
networks are using more new next-generation technologies such as GPRS (General Packet Radio
Service).
To learn more about SMS and other forms of mobile communication, check out the links on the
following page.
Lots More Information
Related HowStuffWorks Articles
G How Cell Phones Work
G How Cell-phone Viruses Work
G How Radio Works
G How Routers Work
G How WAP Works
G What does GSM mean in a cell phone?
G What is a packet?
More Great Links
G SMS Tutorial
G SMS Forum
G 160 Characters
file:///F|/my books/SEMINARS/SMS/Howstuffworks How SMS Works.htm (7 of 8)4/19/2007 8:28:54 AM
Howstuffworks "How SMS Works"
G Textually.org
G Dodgeball
Sources
G Barkhuus, Louise and Anna Vallgarda. "Saying it All in 160 Characters: Four Classes of SMS
Conversations."
IT University of Copenhagen, April 2004.
http://www1.itu.dk/graphics/ITU-library/Internet/Forskning/Technical_Reports/ITU-TR-2004-45.pdf
G Burns, Enid. "Teens, College Students Are Most Active Cell Phone Users."
Click Z Network, August 29, 2005.
http://www.clickz.com/stats/sectors/wireless/article.php/3530886
G Clements, Tom. "SMS - Short But Sweet." http://developers.sun.com/techtopics/mobility/midp/articles/
sms
G Coll, Steve. "In the Gulf, Dissidence Goes Digital." Washington Post, March 29, 2005.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A8175-2005Mar28?language=printer
G Dybwad, Barb. "Morse Code Trumps SMS in Head-to-Head Speed Texting Combat." Engadget, May 6,
2005.
http://engadget.com/entry/1234000463042528/
G Dybwad, Barb. "Only 25 Percent of Americans Using SMS." Engadget, March 21, 2005.
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000560036891/
G Gupta, Puneet. "Short Message Service: What, How and Where?"
http://www.wirelessdevnet.com/channels/sms/features/sms.htm
G "Lecturer May Sue After SMS Sacking." Independent Online, September 13, 2005.
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=29&art_id=qw1126585085708B215
G "Linked By Their Phones, Chinese Take to the Streets." Textually.org, April 25, 2005.
http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2005/04/008069.htm
G Reid, Donna and Fraser Reid. "Insights into the Social and Psychological Effects of SMS Text
Messaging."
http://www.160characters.org/documents/SocialEffectsofTextMessaging.pdf
G Trosby, Finn. "SMS, The Strange Duckling of GSM."
http://www.telenor.com/telektronnik/volumes/pdf/3.2004/Page_187-194.pdf



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