Buzz
For some users, text messaging has become a preferred alternative to phone calls.
Image credit: Jupiterimages/©Getty Images/ThinkstockIt seems like everyone used to be constantly talking on their cell phones, but now it feels like no one is speaking anymore. Instead, they're busy typing on small digital keypads. But what exactly is SMS messaging, and why has it become so widely used?
In this article, we’ll explore how text messaging works, its various applications, and why there can sometimes be delays in sending a text to its intended recipient.
What Does SMS Represent?
SMS stands for Short Message Service. Essentially, it’s a way of communicating by sending text between cell phones, or from a PC or handheld to a cell phone. But how do SMS messages actually reach your device? If you've read How Cell Phones Work, you'll understand the process.
Even when you're not talking on your cell phone, it's always sending and receiving data. It communicates with a cell tower via a connection called a control channel. This constant exchange ensures that the system knows which cell your phone is connected to, and it allows your phone to switch between cells as you move. Occasionally, your phone and the tower exchange a packet of data to confirm everything is functioning properly.
Your phone also relies on the control channel to set up calls. When someone tries to reach you, the tower sends a signal to your phone over the control channel, instructing it to play the ringtone. The tower also assigns a pair of voice channel frequencies for the call.
The control channel is also responsible for handling SMS messages. When a friend sends you a text, the message travels through the SMSC, reaches the tower, and is delivered to your phone as a small data packet over the control channel. Similarly, when you send a message, your phone transmits it to the tower via the control channel, which then forwards it to the SMSC before it reaches its recipient.
The data structure of an SMS message includes details such as the message length, timestamp, recipient phone number, format, and more. For a full byte-by-byte analysis of the message format, check this page.
It has recently been suggested that SMS messages could be used to launch an attack on a cell phone network. The concept is simple: if a massive number of SMS messages were sent from computers to phones within a small geographical area (such as a city), these messages could overwhelm the control channels, preventing the system from establishing calls. With this threat now recognized, mobile network providers can implement systems to limit the volume of messages from the SMSC to the network.
Benefits of SMS
SMS is a widely-used method for sending brief messages between mobile phones. Discover how SMS works and learn about the benefits of text messaging.SMS offers a number of benefits. It is less intrusive than a phone call, making it the perfect option when you want to communicate without being overheard. Sending a text is often quicker than making a phone call or sending an email.
SMS is a store-and-forward service, meaning that when you send a text to a friend, it doesn't go directly to their phone. The advantage here is that your friend's phone doesn’t need to be on or within range to receive the message. The message is held in the SMSC (for as long as needed) until your friend’s phone is powered on or within range, at which point the message is delivered. The message will remain on your friend's SIM card until it is deleted by them.
Beyond personal messages, SMS marketing enables sending messages to a large group of people at once, either from a list of contacts or to everyone within a certain area. This service is called broadcasting and is used by companies to communicate with employees or by online platforms to share news and updates with subscribers.
In a 2004 study from the University of Plymouth on SMS user psychology, researchers discovered that mobile phone users were typically either "texters" or "talkers." Texters sent nearly twice as many SMS messages and made less than half the number of voice calls per month compared to talkers [source: Reid]. Texters favored SMS for its convenience and the ability to review messages before sending them, unlike voice calls.
Companies have discovered many uses for SMS beyond just personal messaging. Since SMS puts less strain on networks than voice calls, it is frequently used by TV shows to let viewers vote on polls or for contestants. As a promotional tool, wireless carriers often display text messages from the audience on giant screens at concerts and large events.
Text messaging subscription services allow you to receive reminders for medication, weather updates, news alerts, or even short novels divided into 160-character "chapters." Search engines like Yahoo! and Google offer SMS services where users can text queries to a designated number and receive responses such as driving directions, movie times, or business listings. Social media platforms like Dodgeball use SMS to notify people in large cities when friends or crushes are nearby. The potential for integrating SMS into everyday life seems limitless.
Next, we will explore the drawbacks of SMS and discuss alternative communication technologies.
SMS was developed in the late 1980s to function with a digital technology known as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), which serves as the foundation for most modern cell phones. Norwegian engineers who created SMS aimed for a basic messaging system that worked even when users’ phones were turned off or out of signal range. According to most sources, the first SMS message was sent in the UK in 1992.
While SMS originated in Europe, it took a bit longer to reach the United States. Even today, texting remains more popular in Europe, although its use is growing in the U.S. A study from July 2005 revealed that 37 percent of U.S. mobile phone users had sent or received at least one text message in the past month [ref].
Criticism of SMS and Other Alternatives
Despite their widespread use, short messaging services have faced criticism. Below are some of the common disadvantages of SMS:
- There’s a cost involved. Most mobile plans come with a set limit on the number of text messages you can send each month. Some plans charge only for messages you send, while others also charge for those you receive. If you go over your allowance, you may be charged about 10 cents per extra message, and those costs can quickly accumulate.
- Message delivery speed isn’t always guaranteed. During busy times, it could take minutes or even hours for your message to be successfully delivered.
- It’s only for sending text. SMS does not support the sending of images, videos, or music files.
Alternatives to SMS
Alternative messaging services offer more features. With EMS (Enhanced Messaging Service), you can send text with formatting, sounds, small pictures, and icons. MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) goes even further, allowing the sending of animations, audio, and video files in addition to text. If your mobile phone supports EMS or MMS, you can use these services just like SMS. However, the cost per message tends to be higher.
Another option for messaging is using an instant messaging app on your phone. This can be software already installed on your device or you can use WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) to access the web and log into your IM account. WAP simplifies web pages for mobile devices, making them easy to navigate (for more details, check out How WAP Works). You can send instant messages or even e-mails from your phone.
A common criticism of SMS is its delivery inefficiency—messages can take longer when the message center is congested. To improve speed, networks are implementing next-generation technologies like GPRS (General Packet Radio Service).
For more details about SMS and other types of mobile communication, be sure to visit the links provided on the next page.
The impersonal nature of SMS has raised several etiquette concerns, such as determining which types of information are acceptable to send via text rather than in person. Recently, a number of individuals have pursued legal action after receiving notifications of job termination or divorce proceedings through SMS.
Broadcast text messages have been utilized to organize political protests in Beijing and incite youth for riots in Belfast. In an interesting competition, SMS was even put to the test against Morse code, with the latter emerging victorious.
