What is SMS? Text message. How to send SMS

Many people daily send each other messages in the form of text from a mobile phone, without even thinking about what SMS is and how this service affects modern society.

What is SMS?

So what is SMS? It is unlikely that anyone can decipher the Russian abbreviation, since it is just a transcription of the English SMS (Short Message Service), which means “short message service”. This special technology allows mobile users to share mini-letters with each other (160 total in Latin and no more than 70 characters in Cyrillic).

Today, such messages are an integral part of the modern world and mobile technologies in general. This service is used by more than 90% of mobile communication customers, and the number of messages sent has long exceeded hundreds of billions per year. By sending a short text to the number of another subscriber, you can make an appointment, notify about an important event, wish a happy birthday or express condolences about the loss of a loved one.

When did the short message service appear?

The short message service was first created specifically for GSM Phase 1 (a digital standard that supports data transfer rates up to 10 kbit / s). The introduction of SMS into the standard was carried out in 1989, thanks to well-known people: Friedhelm Hillebrand (Deutsche Telekom), Kevin Holly (Cellnet), Ian Harris (Vodafone) and others.

The first message was sent in December 1992, in the UK. SMS from a computer to a phone was sent to Vodafone's GSM network. It was a simple Merry Christmas.

In the Russian Federation, SMS messages began to be exchanged only in 2000 .

Advantages and disadvantages of short message service

A lot of time has passed since the first text message was sent, and since then the mobile service has managed to change greatly, as well as get many advantages. But, unfortunately, due to the rapid development of technologies, in addition to the advantages, the SMS sending service also has disadvantages. All this is described in the corresponding table below.

But, despite the presence of quite significant shortcomings, SMS is very popular among mobile subscribers. In addition, almost every year, many developers try to improve the service. They produce a variety of devices and software designed to make life easier for users. These include, for example, T9 input technology or SMS voice dialing for Android phones. With these features in your smartphone, you can forget about the inconvenient typing of a text message.

How does SMS work?

Short text messages are transmitted in the same way as a voice signal, from the base transceiver station (BS) through the switching centers and to the SMSC (Short Message Service Center). It is SMSC that is responsible for receiving, saving and their further sending. After the message has reached the processing center, it is sent to the nearest BS, where the recipient is located.

If the subscriber's phone is turned off or he finds himself outside the coverage area of ​​the network, the center will save the message until it is again in touch. If the recipient is not online for a long time, the sender will receive a notification - SMS, which says that it is impossible to send a message. If the switch established communication with the subscriber, then the message is transmitted by standard signal channels.

When the text is received, it is displayed on the phone screen and stored in the subscriber identity module, SIM card. If the connection fails, the switch notifies the SMSC to retransmit the information.

Ways to send SMS messages

About what SMS is and how this service works, it was already said earlier. Now you can find out how a text message is sent.

There are only three ways to send SMS:

• From mobile to mobile.
• From computer to mobile phone.
• From a mobile phone to a computer.

How to send SMS from mobile to mobile?

To send a short text message from one mobile to another mobile phone:

1. Go to the "Messages" section in the phone’s main menu.
2. Click Create Message.
3. Add recipient number (manually or using contact search).
4. Type the message itself.
5. Click "Submit".

In addition, in some mobile phones you can send SMS via "Contacts". To do this, you need:

1. Go to "Contacts".
2. Select recipient number.
3. Click the message icon next to the phone number.
4. Repeat steps 3, 4 and 5 of the standard procedure for sending SMS.

It is also worth mentioning about special widgets (simple controls) in new smartphones. Icons of these small programs can be placed on the main screen of a mobile phone and switched to the Messages menu without performing any additional actions.

Sending short text messages is a paid service. The cost of SMS is indicated in the tariff plans and may vary significantly, depending on the chosen mobile operator. It can be from 1 rub. and above, the most expensive messages sent to other countries.

How to send SMS from a computer to a mobile phone?

Send SMS from computer to phone is even easier than from one mobile to another. This can be done using the site of a particular mobile operator or third-party resources, which are more than enough on the Internet. Most of these Internet resources do not charge for the provision of services, but instead attach small advertising messages to the body of the message.

To send free SMS messages from the site, you need to know:

• Name of mobile operator (Beeline, Megafon, MTS, etc.);
• Recipient's phone number
• country and operator code (for example, sending SMS to Ukraine, instead of the usual +7 (9xx), the code is +3 (8xx).

In addition to the sites of mobile operators and third-party Internet resources, you can also send messages using programs familiar to many users. For example, the function of sending SMS is present in Mail Agent, QIP or Skype. But such a service will already cost money.

How to send SMS from a mobile phone to a computer and is it possible?

Many who know what SMS is will not believe it, but you can send a message from a mobile phone to a computer. For this, the recipient will need an ordinary GSM-modem, which must be connected to a PC.

To receive SMS-messages to a computer, you first need to install a SIM-card in the modem, which will be unlocked (PIN-code). In some cases, in order to receive messages, the user will have to perform additional equipment settings.

Common problems with sending SMS and ways to solve them

While sending messages, many often encounter various problems. For example, an SMS notification does not come, or after a successful message has been sent, the addressee has not received it. In such cases, there are several ways to solve problems:

1. Check the availability of funds in the account.
2. Check for the presence and congestion of communication (often on holidays SMS does not work correctly).
3. Change sending SMS via GPRS to GSM.
4. Check if SMSC is installed on the phone and is it configured correctly.
5. Try to send a message in full international format - +7 (9xx) xxx-xx-xx.
6. Check if the correct SMS format is set in the settings of the mobile phone. Russian mobile operators only accept text and GSM alphabet formats.
7. Check the fullness of the SIM card (if SMS notifications do not come).
8. Contact the recipient, there may be problems on his part.
9. Call the mobile operator’s service and ask for new SMS configuration settings.

Fun facts about sending SMS messages

And finally, some interesting facts about SMS messages:

• The United States is a leader in sending short text messages.
• Every year, subscribers around the world send more than 6 trillion text messages, which is more than 190 thousand SMS per second.
• In order to reduce the number of characters in one SMS message, residents of many countries use abbreviations of certain phrases and phrases.
• People who often print messages, including SMS, may develop tenosynovitis (inflammation of the tendon of the hand).
• Modern cellular networks can receive SMS messages during a telephone conversation of a subscriber. This in no way affects mobile and voice traffic.
• “Smashing” is a special type of fraud by sending SMS messages, the purpose of which is to seize the user's confidential data or his money.
• The concentration of a person on a set of SMS is much more than that of a driver.
• The Guinness Book of Records has a registered record for the speed of typing an SMS message, which is 264 characters per minute.
• In many countries, the short text messaging service is more popular than regular phone calls. So, in the world this service is used by 74% of users.