May
12
2010
SMS Text Messaging is very popular, and new technology that improves smartphone bandwidth will make Multimedia Messages the new preferred communications method.
Exchanging text messages, technically defined as Short Message System (SMS), but also acknowledged as “texting”, is a uncomplicated, effortless, and handy means to correspond between mobile phones. Not just a exceptional method for people to keep in touch, text messages can be a handy system for software programs to exchange simple messages, and even setup instructions, between mobile devices. SMS does not need a direct connection between mobile devices; the communications infrastructure for the system is already prepared, and it works across most mobile networks. One aspect of text messaging that makes it especially valuable for mobile software programs is that it utilizes cell phone fixed identity, the phone number. This aspect presents a unique benefit over other technologies that use IP addresses because a cell phone IP address can vary depending on current network.
Short Message Service (SMS) is a communication service component of the GSM mobile communication system. It uses uniform communications protocols that allow sending and receiving short text messages between smartphones. SMS texting is the most commonly used data application around the globe, with almost two and a half billion active users, or three quarters of all mobile phone subscribers.
SMS text messaging as used on modern cell phones was initially included as part of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) series of protocols in 1985 as a manner of exchanging texts of up to 160 characters, to and from GSM mobile handsets. Since then service support has expanded to comprise other mobile technology such as ANSI CDMA networks and Digital AMPS, as well as satellite and landline networks. The largest number of SMS messages are mobile-to-mobile text messages, though the standard supports other kinds of broadcast messaging as well. Computer to mobile device SMS texting capabilities are also growing rapidly.
Global System for Mobile Communications was originally called Groupe Spécial Mobile. It is the most accepted standard for mobile telephone systems around the globe. The GSM Association, the promoting trade association of mobile phone network providers and manufacturers, estimates that close to 80% of the world mobile market uses it. GSM is used by over 3 billion people across more than two hundred countries and territories. Its pervasiveness enables international roaming arrangements between mobile phone network providers, offering subscribers the use of their mobile devices in many parts of the world. GSM has evolved from its forerunner technologies demonstrated by the fact that both signaling and speech channels are digital. Thus GSM is considered a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. Additionally, this eases the extensive implementation of data communication programs.
The ubiquity of GSM deployment has been a benefit for consumers that are given the option to roam and switch carriers without needing to replace their mobile phones, and also to network providers, who can select equipment from many equipment suppliers. GSM pioneered affordable deployment of SMS, which is now supported on other mobile phone standards.
Recent versions of the standard work with the initial GSM system. Release ‘97 of the standard upgraded to packet data capabilities by means of General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). Release ‘99 introduced high speed data transmission through Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE).
General packet radio service (GPRS) is a packet oriented mobile data service available to users of the 2G and 3G GSM. In 2G systems. GPRS data transfer is typically billed per megabyte of traffictransferred, while data communication using traditional circuit switching is billed per unit of connection time, independent of whether or not the subscriber actually is using it or if it is idle. GPRS is a best-effort packet switched service, as opposed to circuit switching, that has guaranteed quality of service during the connection for non-mobile users.
2G cellular systems combined with GPRS are regularly described as 2.5G. 2.5G is a technology bridge transitioning between the second (2G) and third (3G) generations of smartphone telephony. It provides moderate-speed data transfer, by using unused time division multiple access (TDMA) channels. Originally there was some thought to broaden GPRS to cover other standards, but these networks are converting to the GSM standard. GPRS is integrated into GSM Release 97 and newer releases.
GPRS was developed as a GSM response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode packet switched cellular technologies. Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) was a wide-area mobile data service which used unused bandwidth normally used by AMPS mobile phones. The service was dropped in conjunction with the discontinuation of the parent AMPS service.
CDPD was developed in the early 1990’s, and was seen as a future technology. However, it had competition from then current slower but cheaper Mobitex and DataTac systems. CDPD never earned general acceptance before newer, faster standards such as GPRS earned widespread acceptance and started dominating.
For consumer markets CDPD had very limited offerings. AT&T Wireless first sold the technology in the US under the brandname PocketNet, one of the very first consumer wireless web service products. Cingular Wireless later offered CDPD under the Wireless Internet brand (as opposed to Wireless Internet Express, Cingular Wireless GPRS/EDGE data). AT&T Wireless PocketNet was generally considered a failure. However, CDPD was adopted into several enterprise and government networks. It was especially popular as a first-generation wireless data solution for telemetry devices (machine to machine communications) and for public safety mobile data terminals.
Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) (also referred to as Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS), or IMT Single Carrier (IMT-SC), and Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) is a backward-compatible digital smartphone technology that supplies better data transmission rates on top of standard GSM. EDGE is referred to as a 3G radio technology. EDGE allows more than three-fold improvement in both the capacity and performance of GSM/GPRS networks by incorporating advanced systems of coding and transmitting data, that deliver higher bit-rates per radio channel. EDGE delivers broadband performance and supports high bandwidth data applications such as Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS).
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