The Relationship between Short Message System (SMS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and the Evolution Toward Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
SMS Text Messaging is very popular, and new technology that increases smartphone bandwidth will make Multimedia Messages the new preferred communications method.
Sending SMS messages, technically defined as Short Message System (SMS), but typically acknowledged as “texting”, is a simple, easy, and handy method to correspond among mobile phones. Not just a very good way for people to keep in touch, text messages can be a practical means for software applications to exchange simple messages, and even setup instructions, between mobile phones. SMS texting does not require a direct connection between mobile phones; the communications infrastructure for the process is already in place, and it works across most cellular networks. One functionality of text messaging that makes it particularly valuable for mobile software applications is that it uses cell phone fixed identity, the phone number. This functionality makes available a distinct benefit over other technologies that rely on IP addresses because a mobile phone IP address will vary depending on current network.
Short Message Service (SMS) is a communication service component of the GSM mobile communication system. It relies on uniform communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between mobile devices. SMS texting is the most widely used data application in the world, boasting about 2.4 billion active users, or three quarters of all cell phone subscribers.
SMS texting as used on modern cell phones was initially defined as part of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) series of standards in 1985 as a way of transferring messages of up to 160 characters, between GSM mobile handsets. Since then service support has extended to comprise other mobile technology such as ANSI CDMA networks and Digital AMPS, as well as satellite and landline networks. The majority of SMS messages are mobile-to-mobile text messages, though the standard supports other types of broadcast messaging as well. Computer to mobile device SMS text messaging capabilities are also growing rapidly.
GSM was initially named Groupe Spécial Mobile. It is the most accepted standard for mobile telephone systems around the globe. The GSM Association, the promoting trade organization of mobile phone network providers and manufacturers, estimates that close to 80% of the world mobile market uses the standard. GSM is enjoyed by over 3 billion people across more than 212 countries and territories. Its ubiquity allows international roaming arrangements between mobile phone operators, offering subscribers the benefit of their smartphones in many parts of the world. GSM differs from its forerunner technologies in that both signaling and speech channels are digital. This means GSM is considered a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. This also facilitates the extensive deployment of data communication programs.
The ubiquity of GSM implementation has been a benefit for consumers that are given the option to roam and switch carriers without needing to replace their cell phones, and also to network providers, who can select equipment from many equipment suppliers. GSM is credited with pioneering affordable implementation of SMS, which is now supported on other mobile phone standards.
Newer versions of the standard work with the original 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 by means of 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 communication is typically charged per megabyte of traffictransferred, while data communication via traditional circuit switching is charged per minute of connection time, independent of whether or not the subscriber actually is using the capacity 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 in combination with GPRS are regularly described as 2.5G. 2.5G is a technology bridge between the second (2G) and third (3G) generations of mobile telephony. It delivers moderate-speed data transfer, by using unused time division multiple access (TDMA) channels. Initially it was intended to extend GPRS to cover other standards, however these networks are converting to the GSM standard. GPRS is integrated into GSM Release 97 and newer releases.
GPRS was created as a GSM response to the earlier CDPD and i-mode packet switched cellular technology. Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) was a wide-area mobile data service which used unused bandwidth normally used by AMPS mobile phones. It was dropped along with with the discontinuation of the parent AMPS service.
CDPD was developed in the early 1990’s, and was seen as a future technology. But, it had competition from then current slower but cheaper Mobitex and DataTac systems. CDPD never earned common acceptance and in time newer, faster standards such as GPRS gained widespread acceptance and became predominant.
For consumers CDPD had very limited offerings. AT&T Wireless first offered the technology in the America 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. But, 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 delivers better data transmission rates on top of standard GSM. EDGE is considered a 3G radio technology. EDGE provides more than three-fold improvement in both the capacity and performance of GSM/GPRS networks by utilizing advanced techniques of coding and transmitting data, that produce 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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