SMS

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This article is about the communication protocol technology. For information about text
messaging, see Text messaging. For other uses, see SMS (disambiguation).
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An SMS message being received

E.161, the most common mobile keypad alphabet layout

Short Message Service (SMS) is the text communication service component of phone, web, or
mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the
exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices. SMS text
messaging is the most widely used data application in the world, with 2.4 billion active users, or
74% of all mobile phone subscribers.[citation needed] The term SMS is used as a synonym for
all types of short text messaging as well as the user activity itself in many parts of the world.
SMS as used on modern handsets was originated from radio telegraphy in radio memo pagers
using standardized phone protocols and later defined as part of the Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM) series of standards in 1985[1] as a means of sending messages of up to
160 characters,[2] to and from GSM mobile handsets.[3] Since then, support for the service has
expanded to include other mobile technologies such as ANSI CDMA networks and Digital
AMPS, as well as satellite and landline networks.[citation needed] Most SMS messages are
mobile-to-mobile text messages though the standard supports other types of broadcast messaging
as well.
Contents
· 1 History
· 1.1 Initial concept
· 1.2 Early development
· 1.3 Support in other architectures
· 1.4 Early implementations
· 1.5 Text messaging outside GSM
· 1.6 SMS today
· 2 Technical details
· 2.1 GSM
· 2.2 Message size
· 2.3 SMS Gateway providers
· 2.4 Interconnectivity with other networks
· 2.5 AT commands
· 2.6 Premium-rated short messages
· 2.7 SMS in satellite phone networks
· 2.8 Vulnerabilities
· 2.8.1 SMS spoofing
· 3 Emergency Services
· 4 See also
· 5 References
· 6 External links
[edit] History
[edit] Initial concept

SMS messages sent monthly in USA (billion)

The idea of adding text messaging to the services of mobile users was not frequent in many
communities of mobile communication services at the beginning of the 1980s. The first action
plan of the CEPT Group GSM, approved in December 1982, requested "The services and
facilities offered in the public switched telephone networks and public data networks... should be
available in the mobile system".[4] This target includes the exchange of text messages either
directly between mobile stations, or transmitted via Message Handling Systems widely in use
since the beginning of the 1980s.[5]
The SMS concept was developed in the Franco-German GSM cooperation in 1984 by Friedhelm
Hillebrand and Bernard Ghillebaert.[6] The innovation in SMS is Short. The GSM is optimized
for telephony, since this was identified as its main application. The key idea for SMS was to use
this telephony-optimized system, and to transport messages on the signaling paths needed to
control the telephony traffic during time periods when no signaling traffic existed. In this way,
unused resources in the system could be used to transport messages at minimal cost. However, it
was necessary to limit the length of the messages to 128 bytes (later improved to 140 bytes, or
160 seven-bit characters) so that the messages could fit into the existing signaling formats.
This concept allowed SMS to be implemented in every mobile station by updating its software.
This concept was instrumental for the implementation of SMS in every mobile station ever
produced and in every network from early days. Hence, a large base of SMS capable terminals
and networks existed when the users began to utilize the SMS.[7] A new network element
required was a specialized short message service center, and enhancements were required to the
radio capacity and network transport infrastructure to accommodate growing SMS traffic.

[edit] Early development

The technical development of SMS was a multinational collaboration supporting the framework
of standards bodies, and through these organizations the technology was made freely available to
the whole world. This is described and supported by evidence in the following sections.[8]
The first proposal which initiated the development of SMS was made by a contribution of
Germany and France into the GSM group meeting in February 1985 in Oslo.[9] This proposal
was further elaborated in GSM subgroup WP1 Services (Chairman Martine Alvernhe, France
Telecom) based on a contribution from Germany. There were also initial discussions in the
subgroup WP3 network aspects chaired by Jan Audestad (Telenor). The result was approved by
the main GSM group in a June '85 document which was distributed to industry.[10] The input
documents on SMS had been prepared by Friedhelm Hillebrand (Deutsche Telekom) with
contributions from Bernard Ghillebaert (France Télécom).
SMS was considered in the main GSM group as a possible service for the new digital cellular
system. In GSM document "Services and Facilities to be provided in the GSM System",[1] both
mobile-originated and mobile-terminated short messages appear on the table of GSM
teleservices.
The discussions on the GSM services were concluded in the recommendation GSM 02.03
"TeleServices supported by a GSM PLMN".[11] Here a rudimentary description of the three
services was given:
Short message Mobile Terminated (SMS-MT)/ Point-to-Point: the ability of a network to
transmit a Short Message to a mobile phone. The message can be sent by phone or by a
software application.
Short message Mobile Originated (SMS-MO)/ Point-to-Point: the ability of a network to
transmit a Short Message sent by a mobile phone. The message can be sent to a phone or
to a software application.
Short message Cell Broadcast.
The material elaborated in GSM and its WP1 subgroup was handed over in Spring 1987 to a new
GSM body called IDEG (the Implementation of Data and Telematic Services Experts Group),
which had its kickoff in May 1987 under the chairmanship of Friedhelm Hillebrand (German
Telecom). The technical standard known today was largely created by IDEG (later WP4) as the
two recommendations GSM 03.40 (the two point-to-point services merged together) and GSM
03.41 (cell broadcast).
WP4 created a Drafting Group Message Handling (DGMH), which was responsible for the
specification of SMS. Finn Trosby of Telenor chaired the draft group through its first 3 years, in
which the design of SMS was established. DGMH had about five to eight participants, and Finn
Trosby mentions as major contributors Kevin Holley, Eija Altonen, Didier Luizard and Alan
Cox. The first action plan[12] mentions for the first time the Technical Specification 03.40
“Technical Realisation of the Short Message Service”. Responsible editor was Finn Trosby. The
first and very rudimentary draft of the technical specification was completed in November 1987.
[13] However, drafts useful for the manufacturers followed at a later stage in the period. A
comprehensive description of the work in this period is given in.[14]
The work on the draft specification continued in the following few years, where Kevin Holley of
Cellnet (now Telefonica O2 UK) played a leading role. Besides the completion of the main
specification GSM 03.40, the detailed protocol specifications on the system interfaces also
needed to be completed.
[edit] Support in other architectures
The Mobile Application Part (MAP) of the SS7 protocol included support for the transport of
Short Messages through the Core Network from its inception.[15] MAP Phase 2 expanded
support for SMS by introducing a separate operation code for Mobile Terminated Short Message
transport.[16] Since Phase 2, there have been no changes to the Short Message operation
packages in MAP, although other operation packages have been enhanced to support CAMEL
SMS control.
From 3GPP Releases 99 and 4 onwards, CAMEL Phase 3 introduced the ability for the
Intelligent Network (IN) to control aspects of the Mobile Originated Short Message Service,[17]
while CAMEL Phase 4, as part of 3GPP Release 5 and onwards, provides the IN with the ability
to control the Mobile Terminated service.[18] CAMEL allows the gsmSCP to block the
submission (MO) or delivery (MT) of Short Messages, route messages to destinations other than
that specified by the user, and perform real-time billing for the use of the service. Prior to
standardized CAMEL control of the Short Message Service, IN control relied on switch vendor
specific extensions to the Intelligent Network Application Part (INAP) of SS7.

[edit] Early implementations

The first SMS message[19] was sent over the Vodafone GSM network in the United Kingdom
on 3 December 1992, from Neil Papworth of Sema Group (now Airwide Solutions) using a
personal computer to Richard Jarvis of Vodafone using an Orbitel 901 handset. The text of the
message was "Merry Christmas".[20]
The first commercial deployment of a short message service center (SMSC) was by Aldiscon
(now Acision) with Telia (now TeliaSonera) in Sweden in 1993,[21] followed by Fleet Call (now
Nextel)[citation needed] in the US, Telenor in Norway[citation needed] and BT Cellnet (now O2
UK)[citation needed] later in 1993. All first installations of SMS gateways were for network
notifications sent to mobile phones, usually to inform of voice mail messages. The first
commercially sold SMS service was offered to consumers, as a person-to-person text messaging
service by Radiolinja (now part of Elisa) in Finland in 1993. Most early GSM mobile phone
handsets did not support the ability to send SMS text messages, and Nokia was the only handset
manufacturer whose total GSM phone line in 1993 supported user-sending of SMS text
messages.
Initial growth was slow, with customers in 1995 sending on average only 0.4 messages per GSM
customer per month.[22] One factor in the slow takeup of SMS was that operators were slow to
set up charging systems, especially for prepaid subscribers, and eliminate billing fraud which
was possible by changing SMSC settings on individual handsets to use the SMSCs of other
operators[citation needed].
Over time, this issue was eliminated by switch billing instead of billing at the SMSC and by new
features within SMSCs to allow blocking of foreign mobile users sending messages through it.
By the end of 2000, the average number of messages reached 35 per user per month,[22] and by
Christmas Day 2006, over 205 million messages were sent in the UK alone.[23]
It is also alleged that the fact that roaming customers, in the early days, rarely received bills for
their SMSs after holidays abroad had a boost on text messaging as an alternative to voice calls.
[citation needed]

[edit] Text messaging outside GSM

SMS was originally designed as part of GSM, but is now available on a wide range of networks,
including 3G networks. However, not all text messaging systems use SMS, and some notable
alternative implementations of the concept include J-Phone's SkyMail and NTT Docomo's Short
Mail, both in Japan. Email messaging from phones, as popularized by NTT Docomo's i-mode
and the RIM BlackBerry, also typically uses standard mail protocols such as SMTP over TCP/IP.

[edit] SMS today

In 2008, 4.1 trillion SMS text messages were sent. SMS has become a massive commercial
industry, worth over 81 billion dollars globally as of 2006.[24] The global average price for a
SMS message is 0.11 USD, while mobile networks charge each other interconnect fees of at least
$0.04US when connecting between different phone networks[citation needed]. SMS is relatively
popular in Europe, Asia, Australia and in North America.

[edit] Technical details

[edit] GSM
Main article: Short message service technical realisation (GSM)
The Short Message Service – Point to Point (SMS-PP) is defined in GSM recommendation
03.40.[3] GSM 03.41 defines the Short Message Service – Cell Broadcast (SMS-CB), which
allows messages (advertising, public information, etc.) to be broadcast to all mobile users in a
specified geographical area.[25]
Messages are sent to a Short message service center (SMSC) which provides a "store and
forward" mechanism. It attempts to send messages to the SMSC's recipients. If a recipient is not
reachable, the SMSC queues the message for later retry.[26] Some SMSCs also provide a
"forward and forget" option where transmission is tried only once. Both mobile terminated (MT,
for messages sent to a mobile handset) and mobile originating (MO, for those sent from the
mobile handset) operations are supported. Message delivery is "best effort", so there are no
guarantees that a message will actually be delivered to its recipient, but delay or complete loss of
a message is uncommon. Users may request delivery reports to confirm that messages reach the
intended recipients, either via the SMS settings of most modern phones, or by prefixing each
message with *0# or *N#.eee

[edit] Message size

Transmission of short messages between the SMSC and the handset is done whenever using the
Mobile Application Part (MAP) of the SS7 protocol. Messages are sent with the MAP MO- and
MT-ForwardSM operations, whose payload length is limited by the constraints of the signaling
protocol to precisely 140 octets (140 octets = 140 * 8 bits = 1120 bits). Short messages can be
encoded using a variety of alphabets: the default GSM 7-bit alphabet, the 8-bit data alphabet, and
the 16-bit UTF-16 alphabet.[27] Depending on which alphabet the subscriber has configured in
the handset, this leads to the maximum individual short message sizes of 160 7-bit characters,
140 8-bit characters, or 70 16-bit characters (including spaces). GSM 7-bit alphabet support is
mandatory for GSM handsets and network elements,[27] but characters in languages such as
Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Cyrillic alphabet languages (e.g. Russian, Serbian,
Bulgarian, etc.) must be encoded using the 16-bit UTF-16 character encoding (see Unicode).
Routing data and other metadata is additional to the payload size.
Larger content (concatenated SMS, multipart or segmented SMS, or "long SMS") can be sent
using multiple messages, in which case each message will start with a user data header (UDH)
containing segmentation information. Since UDH is part of the payload, the number of available
characters per segment is lower: 153 for 7-bit encoding, 134 for 8-bit encoding and 67 for 16-bit
encoding. The receiving handset is then responsible for reassembling the message and presenting
it to the user as one long message. While the standard theoretically permits up to 255 segments,
[28] 6 to 8 segment messages are the practical maximum, and long messages are often billed as
equivalent to multiple SMS messages. See concatenated SMS for more information. Some
providers have offered length-oriented pricing schemes for messages, however, the phenomenon
is disappearing.

[edit] SMS Gateway providers

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Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced
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SMS gateway providers facilitate SMS traffic between businesses and mobile subscribers,
including mission-critical messages, SMS for enterprises, content delivery, and entertainment
services involving SMS, e.g. TV voting. Considering SMS messaging performance and cost, as
well as the level of messaging services, SMS gateway providers can be classified as aggregators
or SS7 providers.
The aggregator model is based on multiple agreements with mobile carriers to exchange two-
way SMS traffic into and out of the operator's SMSC, also known as local termination model.
Aggregators lack direct access into the SS7 protocol, which is the protocol where the SMS
messages are exchanged. SMS messages are delivered to the operator's SMSC, but not the
subscriber's handset; the SMSC takes care of further handling of the message through the SS7
network.
Another type of SMS gateway provider is based on SS7 connectivity to route SMS messages,
also known as international termination model. The advantage of this model is the ability to
route data directly through SS7, which gives the provider total control and visibility of the
complete path during SMS routing. This means SMS messages can be sent directly to and from
recipients without having to go through the SMSCs of other mobile operators. Therefore, it is
possible to avoid delays and message losses, offering full delivery guarantees of messages and
optimized routing. This model is particularly efficient when used in mission-critical messaging
and SMS used in corporate communications.
[edit] Interconnectivity with other networks
Message Service Centers communicate with the Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) or PSTN
via Interworking and Gateway MSCs.
Subscriber-originated messages are transported from a handset to a Service Center, and may be
destined for mobile users, subscribers on a fixed network, or Value-Added Service Providers
(VASPs), also known as application-terminated. Subscriber-terminated messages are transported
from the Service Center to the destination handset, and may originate from mobile users, from
fixed network subscribers, or from other sources such as VASPs.
On some carriers non-subscribers can send messages to a subscriber's phone using an Email-to-
SMS gateway. Additionally, many carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile,[29] Sprint,[30] and
Verizon Wireless,[31] offer the ability to do this through their respective websites.
For example, an AT&T subscriber whose phone number was 555-555-5555 would receive e-
mails from [email protected] as text messages. AT&T subscribers can easily reply to these
SMS messages, and the SMS reply is sent back to the original email address. Sending email to
SMS is free for the sender, but the recipient is subject to the standard delivery charges. Only the
first 1600 characters of an email message can be delivered to a phone, and only 160 characters
can be sent from a phone.
Text-enabled fixed-line handsets are required to receive messages in text format. However,
messages can be delivered to non-enabled phones using text-to-speech conversion.[32]
Short messages can send binary content such as ringtones or logos, as well as Over-the-air
programming (OTA) or configuration data. Such uses are a vendor-specific extension of the
GSM specification and there are multiple competing standards, although Nokia's Smart
Messaging is common. An alternative way for sending such binary content is EMS messaging,
which is standardized and not dependent on vendors.
SMS is used for M2M (Machine to Machine) communication. For instance, there is an LED
display machine controlled by SMS, and some vehicle tracking companies use SMS for their
data transport or telemetry needs. SMS usage for these purposes is slowly being superseded by
GPRS services due to their lower overall cost[citation needed]. GPRS is offered by smaller telco
players as a route of sending SMS text to reduce the cost of SMS texting internationally.[33]

[edit] AT commands
Many mobile and satellite transceiver units support the sending and receiving of SMS using an
extended version of the Hayes command set, a specific command language originally developed
for the Hayes Smartmodem 300-baud modem in 1977.[citation needed]
The connection between the terminal equipment and the transceiver can be realized with a serial
cable (e.g. USB), a Bluetooth link, an infrared link, etc. Common AT commands include
AT+CMGS (send message), AT+CMSS (send message from storage), AT+CMGL (list
messages) and AT+CMGR (read message).[34]
However, not all modern devices support receiving of messages if the message storage (for
instance the device's internal memory) is not accessible using AT commands.

[edit] Premium-rated short messages

Short messages may be used to provide premium rate services to subscribers of a telephone
network.
Mobile-terminated short messages can be used to deliver digital content such as news alerts,
financial information, logos and ring tones. The first premium-rate media content delivered via
the SMS system was the world's first paid downloadable ringing tones, as commercially
launched by Saunalahti (later Jippii Group, now part of Elisa Group) in 1998. Initially only
Nokia branded phones could handle them. By 2002 the ringtone business globally had exceeded
one billion US dollars of service revenues, and nearly 5 billion dollars by 2008[citation needed].
The Value-added service provider (VASP) providing the content submits the message to the
mobile operator's SMSC(s) using a TCP/IP protocol such as the short message peer-to-peer
protocol (SMPP) or the External Machine Interface (EMI). The SMSC delivers the text using the
normal Mobile Terminated delivery procedure. The subscribers are charged extra for receiving
this premium content; the revenue is typically divided between the mobile network operator and
the VASP either through revenue share or a fixed transport fee. Submission to the SMSC is
usually handled by a third party.
Mobile-originated short messages may also be used in a premium-rated manner for services such
as televoting. In this case, the VASP providing the service obtains a short code from the
telephone network operator, and subscribers send texts to that number. The payouts to the
carriers vary by carrier; percentages paid are greatest on the lowest-priced premium SMS
services. Most information providers should expect to pay about 45% of the cost of the premium
SMS up front to the carrier. The submission of the text to the SMSC is identical to a standard
MO Short Message submission, but once the text is at the SMSC, the Service Center (SC)
identifies the Short Code as a premium service. The SC will then direct the content of the text
message to the VASP, typically using an IP protocol such as SMPP or EMI. Subscribers are
charged a premium for the sending of such messages, with the revenue typically shared between
the network operator and the VASP. Short codes only work within one country, they are not
international.
An alternative to inbound SMS is based on long numbers (international number format, e.g. +44
762 480 5000), which can be used in place of short codes for SMS reception in several
applications, such as TV voting, product promotions and campaigns. Long numbers work
internationally, allow businesses to use their own numbers, rather than short codes which are
usually shared across a lot of brands. Additionally, long numbers are non-premium inbound
numbers.
See also: Reverse SMS billing, Mobile search, and Short code

[edit] SMS in satellite phone networks

All commercial satellite phone networks except ACeS and OptusSat support SMS[citation
needed]. While early Iridium handsets only support incoming SMS, later models can also send
messages. The price per message varies for different networks. Unlike some mobile phone
networks, there is no extra charge for sending international SMS or to send one to a different
satellite phone network. SMS can sometimes be sent from areas where the signal is too poor to
make a voice call.
Satellite phone networks usually have web-based or email-based SMS portals where one can
send free SMS to phones on that particular network. Other commercial service providers such as
Targlets[35] allow for SMS on the +881 and +882 numbering plan prefix. Some other providers
also cover the +870 plan.

[edit] Vulnerabilities
The Global Service for Mobile communications (GSM), with the greatest worldwide number of
users, succumbs to several security vulnerabilities. In the GSM, only the airway traffic between
the Mobile Station (MS) and the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) is optionally encrypted with a
weak and broken stream cipher (A5/1 or A5/2). The authentication is unilateral and also
vulnerable. There are also many other security vulnerabilities and shortcomings.[36] Such
vulnerabilities are inherent to SMS as one of the superior and well-tried services with a global
availability in the GSM networks. SMS messaging has some extra security vulnerabilities due to
its store-and-forward feature, and the problem of fake SMS that can be conducted via the
Internet. When a user is roaming, SMS content passes through different networks, perhaps
including the Internet, and is exposed to various vulnerabilities and attacks. Another concern
arises when an adversary gets access to a phone and reads the previous unprotected messages.
[37]
In October 2005, researchers from Pennsylvania State University published an analysis of
vulnerabilities in SMS-capable cellular networks.[38] The researchers speculated that attackers
might exploit the open functionality of these networks to disrupt them or cause them to fail,
possibly on a nationwide scale.
[edit] SMS spoofing
Main article: SMS spoofing
The GSM industry has identified a number of potential fraud attacks on mobile operators that
can be delivered via abuse of SMS messaging services. The most serious of threats is SMS
Spoofing. SMS Spoofing occurs when a fraudster manipulates address information in order to
impersonate a user that has roamed onto a foreign network and is submitting messages to the
home network. Frequently, these messages are addressed to destinations outside the home
network – with the home SMSC essentially being “hijacked” to send messages into other
networks.
The only sure way of detecting and blocking spoofed messages is to screen incoming mobile-
originated messages to verify that the sender is a valid subscriber and that the message is coming
from a valid and correct location. This can be implemented by adding an intelligent routing
function to the network that can query originating subscriber details from the HLR before the
message is submitted for delivery. This kind of intelligent routing function is beyond the
capabilities of legacy messaging infrastructure.[39]
[edit] Emergency Services
In some countries SMS messages can be used to contact the emergency services. In the United
Kingdom, SMS text messages can be used to contact the local emergency services provider after
registering with the emergency SMS service. This service is primarily aimed at people who by
reason of disability are unable to make a voice call but has recently been promoted as a means
for walkers and climbers to call[40][41] emergency services from areas where a voice call is not
possible due to low signal strength. Such service is also available in Hong Kong.[42]

[edit] See also

· Comparison of mobile phone standards
· SMS language
· Telegram
· Text messaging
· Thumbing
· Short Message Service Center (SMSC)
· Short message service technical realisation (GSM)
· SMS gateways (sending text to or from devices other than phones)