SMS TECHNOLOGY
DWAN ALSTON
WHAT IS SMS?????
SMS stands for Short Message Service. It is a
technology that enables the sending and receiving of
messages between mobile phones
WHERE DID SMS ORIGNATE?
SMS first appeared in Europe in 1992.
In North America, SMS was made available initially
on digital wireless networks built by early pioneers
such as BellSouth Mobility, PrimeCo, and Nextel,
among others.
SMS TECHNOLOY
The data that can be held by an SMS message is very
limited. One SMS message can contain at most 140
bytes (1120 bits) of data, so one SMS message can
contain up to:
160 characters if 7-bit character encoding is used.
70 characters if 16-bit Unicode UCS2 character
encoding is used. (SMS text messages containing non-
Latin characters like Chinese characters should use 16-
bit character encoding.)
ADVANTAGES of SMS
SMS text messaging supports languages
internationally. It works fine with all languages
supported by Unicode, including Arabic, Chinese,
Japanese and Korean.
One major advantage of SMS is that it is supported by
100% GSM mobile phones. Almost all subscription
plans provided by wireless carriers include
inexpensive SMS messaging service.
DISADVANTAGES OF SMS
One drawback of the SMS technology is that one SMS
message can only carry a very limited amount of data.
Another drawback of SMS technology is that an SMS
message cannot include rich-media content such as
pictures, animations and melodies.
SMS TECHNOLOGY
External Short Messaging Entities An ESME is a
device that may receive or send short messages. The
short message entity (SME) may be located in the
fixed network, a mobile device, or another service
center.
VMS - The VMS is responsible for receiving, storing,
and playing voice messages intended for a subscriber
that was busy or not available to take a voice call. It is
also responsible for sending voice-mail notifications
for those subscribers to the SMSC.
Web - The growth of the Internet has also affected the world
of SMS. Therefore, it is almost mandatory to support
interconnections to the World Wide Web for the submission
of messages and notifications. The increasing number of
Internet users has a positive impact on the SMS traffic
increment experienced in the last few years.
E-Mail - Probably the most demanded application of SMS is
the ability to deliver e-mail notifications and to support two-
way e-mail, using an SMS-compliant terminal. The SMSC
must support interconnection to e-mail servers acting as
message input/output mechanisms.
Others - There are several other mechanisms to
submit short messages to the SMSC that include, but
are not limited to, paging networks, specialized
software for PC-based messaging and operator
bureaus.
SMSC is a combination of hardware and software
responsible for the relaying and storing and forwarding
of a short message between an SME and mobile
device.
Signal Transfer Point The STP is a network element
normally available on IN deployments that allows IS-
41 interconnections over signaling system 7 (SS7)
links with multiple network elements
HLR The HLR is a database used for permanent storage and
management of subscriptions and service profiles. Upon
interrogation by the SMSC, the HLR provides the routing
information for the indicated subscriber. Also, if the
destination station was not available when the message
delivery was attempted, the HLR informs the SMSC that the
station is now recognized by the mobile network to be
accessible, and thus the message can be delivered.
Visitor Location Register (VLR) The visitor location
register is a database that contains temporary information
about subscribers homed in one HLR who are roaming into
another HLR. This information is needed by the MSC to
service visiting subscribers.
The MSC performs the switching functions of the system
and controls calls to and from other telephone and data
systems. The MSC will deliver the short message to the
specific mobile subscriber through the proper base station.
Air Interface The air interface is defined in each one of
the different wireless technologies (GSM, TDMA, and
CDMA). These standards specify how the voice or data
signals are transferred from the MSC to the handset and
back, as well as the utilization of transmission frequencies,
considering the available bandwidth and the system’s
capacity constraints.
The Base Station System All functions related to the
transmission of electromagnetic radio signals between the
MSC and the mobile devices are performed in the base
station (BS).
The BS consists of base station controllers (BSCs) and the
base transceiver stations (BTSs), also known as cell sites or
simply “cells.” The BSC may control one or more BTSs
and is in charge of the proper resource assignment when a
subscriber moves from one sector of one BTS to another,
regardless of whether the next sector lies within the same
BTS or in a different one.
Basic Network Architecture for an SMS
Deployment (IS-41)
Network Infrastructure
MT–SM Scenario (GSM)
MT Short Message Scenario(IS-41)
MO–SM Scenario (GSM)
MO–SM Scenario (IS–41)
LET’S TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!!!
1. SMS guarantees message delivery even if the terminal
is turned off when the message is sent.
2. Short messages cannot be delivered when the mobile
telephone is being used for voice calls.
3. Short messaging can provide delivery notification
when the message arrives at its destination.
5. SMS is defined only for delivery of messages to
mobile phones, not supporting interactive services.
[Link] can support the following services:
a. notifications b. wireless data c. e-mail d. all of the
above
REFERANCES
[Link]/[Link]
[Link]/sms/sms_tutorial.asp?
page=basicConcepts
[Link]/sms_tutorial.htm
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