Mobile Video and the Connection between Short Message System (SMS) and Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), and the Advancement Toward Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
Exchanging SMS text messages, technically defined as Short Message System (SMS), but also acknowledged as “texting”, is a simple, easy, and convenient method to communicate between cell phones. In addition to being a very good means for people to communicate, text messages can be a handy way for software programs to exchange simple messages, and even settings instructions, between mobile devices. SMS doesn’t need a direct connection between smartphones; the communications infrastructure for the system is already in position, and it works across most cell networks. One functionality of SMS text messaging that makes it particularly handy for mobile software applications is that it relies on mobile device fixed identity, the phone number. This aspect presents a unique benefit over other technologies that utilize IP addresses because a cell phone IP address can vary depending on current network.
Short Message Service (SMS) is a communication service component of the GSM mobile communication system. It utilizes uniform communications rules that allow incoming and outgoing short text messages between mobile devices. SMS texting is the most widely used data application around the globe, with almost two and a half billion active users, or almost 75% of all cellular phone subscribers.
SMS text messaging as used on modern smartphones was initially defined as part of the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) series of protocols in 1985 as a manner of exchanging messages of up to 160 characters, between GSM mobile handsets. Since then service support has extended to comprise other mobile technologies such as ANSI CDMA networks and Digital AMPS, as well as satellite and landline networks. Most SMS messages are mobile-to-mobile text messages, though the standard supports other types of broadcast messaging as well. Computer to mobile device SMS capabilities are also growing rapidly.
GSM was originally called Groupe Spécial Mobile. It is the most popular standard for mobile telephone systems around the globe. The GSM Association, the promoting trade association of mobile phone carriers and manufacturers, estimates that approximately 80% of the world mobile market uses the standard. GSM is used by over 3 billion people across more than two hundred countries and territories. Its ubiquity enables international roaming arrangements between mobile phone operators, providing subscribers the use of their mobile phones in many parts of the world. GSM differs from its predecessor technologies demonstrated by the fact that both signaling and speech channels are digital. Thus GSM is thought of as a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. Additionally, this facilitates the wide-spread deployment of data communication software.
Recent versions of the standard work with the original GSM system. Release ’97 of the standard upgraded to packet data capabilities using General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). Release ’99 introduced higher speed data transmission through 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 billed per megabyte of datasent and received, while data communication using traditional circuit switching is charged per minute of connection time, without consideration of whether or not the user actually is using the capacity or if it is in an idle state. GPRS is a best-effort packet switched service, as opposed to circuit switching, that has assured quality of service during the connection for non-mobile users.
2G cellular systems in combination with GPRS are frequently described as 2.5G. 2.5G is a technology bridge between the second (2G) and third (3G) generations of smartphone telephony. It delivers moderate-speed data transfer, by using unused time division multiple access (TDMA) channels. Originally it was intended to broaden 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 reaction 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 in conjunction with the retirement of the parent AMPS service.
CDPD was developed in the early 1990’s, and was seen as a future technology. However, it had competition from then current slower but cheaper Mobitex and DataTac systems. CDPD never gained common acceptance and in time newer, faster standards such as GPRS earned common acceptance and became dominant.
For consumers CDPD had very limited offerings. AT&T Wireless initially sold the technology in the US under the brandname PocketNet, one of the very first consumer wireless web service offers. 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. However, CDPD was used by some enterprise and government networks. It was especially successful 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 called Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS), or IMT Single Carrier (IMT-SC), and Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) is a backward-compatible digital cell phone technology that provides improved data transmission rates on top of standard GSM. EDGE is referred to as a 3G radio technology. EDGE allows more than three-fold boost in both the capacity and performance of GSM/GPRS networks by using sophisticated ways 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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