The SMS rip-off
p2pnet news view Freedom | Mobiles:- There’s a p2pnet story about a guy who ended up having to pay $1,400 on his iPhone bill for data roaming charges.
SMS (text messaging) cost nothing.
Nada.
Zip.
Zero.
But before I get into that, GSM (Groupe Spécial Mobile) Global System for Mobile communications began in 1985 by the German and French that eventually became the concept delivered to the industry and adopted by over 80% of the global mobile communications market. (GSM Doc 28/85 “Services and Facilities to be provided in the GSM System” rev2, June 1985).
A small excerpt of the services to be provided for first generation wireless (1G) is outlined in GSM 02.03 “TeleServices supported by a GSM”.
The primary focus of this description outlines SMS-MT, SMS-OT, sender and receiver.
The service is facilitated by installing additional software on the Base Transceiver Station (BTS). This was implemented in 1985, and continues with every BTS that has been built since then.
By 1987, GSM had gone digital and started the second generation (2G) in mobile communications. With just over a million (1,230,855) cell phone users in the US, the service was expensive. The expense paid by subscribers covered GSM service, including the additional software allowing SMS (SMS-MT, SMS-OT). The subscription let providers expand their networks by building more BTSs.
In July 2000, Hyundai Electronics Industries Co, Ltd. filed a patent for BTS, and most if not all are now built and sold by them.
They’re all using the same ‘tracks’
SMS transmissions are ’sandwiched’ between periods of inactivity on the network. The original idea was to be able to send commands to a BTS to perform functions, maintenance, troubleshooting, and interconnectivity verification.
It’s also used for locating a cell phone, and in some instances, providing a connection to contact lists and other data.
SMS (text messaging) cost nothing. Nada. Zip. Zero.
It is part of the GSM protocol that allows the phone to connect to a BTS. An example of GSM is the bars on your phone to determine the signal strength, that’s sent across GSM for nothing.
SMS rides this same carrier wave, hence the overhead for this service is nothing.
The providers of mobile communications may have different names (railcars), but they’re all using the same ‘tracks’.
Consumers have been paying for this service in the price of the subscription since 1987.
And the messages are still ’sandwiched’ between phone calls using the network.
If GSM is the global standard, why are there ‘roaming’ charges when everyone is using the same standard on the same frequencies bouncing off the same towers?
SMS has an average global price of 0.11 USD and maintains a near 95% profit margin.
How much are you paying?
Now you know.
surfer - p2pnet
June, 2009
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June 11th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
SMS is great b/c if you have no signal (out in the remote desert) sms will still work if I’m not mistaken b/c it is done by satelite. As far as for charging roaming for sms, forget about it!! Sms is also great to record voice when you have no signal and sending it when normal communication is not available (no cell signal). If I had to pay for roaming on sms though, I would simply abandon the service.
June 17th, 2009 at 9:27 pm
anyone: epic FAIL
June 17th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
the SMS message is ’stored’ until you have access to the system again.