This page provides a brief explanation for you
on the basics of the SMS technology along with a fact sheet,
as well as links to pages detailing the technology.
The SMS technology was created by GSM pioneers in
Europe. The standardization process is led by the
European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). The SMS technology was
created to provide an infrastructure for the transportation of short
messages containing a maximum of 140 bytes (8 bit objects) of useful
data in mobile telecommunication networks. The transportation is done in the GSM
signaling path in traditional GSM networks, and as GPRS packets in
GPRS networks. Messages are composed using the PDU specification. An SMS is
a binary string containing all the necessary information to form the
message header needed for transportation and the message body containing the
payload. The basic addressing scheme of SMS messages are mobile telephone
numbers called MSISDN.
Figure 1 - Evolution of SMS
SMS technology fact
||GSM (ETS 03.40) |
||GSM Signaling Path, GPRS |
||Short Message Protocol |
|Message description language:
||SMS PDU |
|User data length:
||140 byte (Concatenated messages can exceed this size) |
|Basic character set:
||7-bit SMS, 8-bit SMS, UCS2|
On the Basic
Concepts page you can read about the roles of the different SMS
messaging entities, illustrated with figures depicting SMS messaging
using GSM and IP connection.
On the IP SMS
technology page you can read about the convenience of connecting
to the Short Message Service Center over the Internet, and you are
provided with links to pages detailing the most common IP SMS protocols.
On the GSM SMS
Technology page you can read about SMS messaging using a GSM device
(modem or phone), and you can find links to pages detailing the different
ways of connecting the GSM device to the computer.
On Connection page
you can learn the two connection possibilities that allow to connect
to the mobile network. The detailed system architecture diagrams also
demonstrate the solutions.
On USSD basics page
you will find the basic information on USSD (Unstructured Supplementary
Services Data) to be familiar with this service. A link to USSD message
types is also available in the article.
On GSM modem vs IP SMS
page you will be provided with detailed information on the differences
between GSM modem connectivity ans IP SMS connectivity to help you make
a selection from them.
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