axus
join:2001-06-18
Washington, DC
 ·Verizon Online DSL
| Re: Cost is already paid? The problem is that wireless companies don't seem to be in a state of competition on text messaging. When companies collaborate together to raise prices on a commodity, it's called collusion. OPEC would be illegal if they had a presence here.
The only way this would make sense and still be legal is if there was a technical reason limiting the number of text messages that could be handled by the companies. In that case, there's a scarcity that higher prices would help get rid of. But, text messages are so small; if at any given moment, 10 million are using 100bps each, it's only 1Gbps to provide SMS for the entire country. But the companies make billions from it by not competing. | |
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marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
| Re: Cost is already paid? said by axus  :The problem is that wireless companies don't seem to be in a state of competition on text messaging. When companies collaborate together to raise prices on a commodity, it's called collusion. OPEC would be illegal if they had a presence here. The only way this would make sense and still be legal is if there was a technical reason limiting the number of text messages that could be handled by the companies. There actually is a very significant bandwidth problem for SMS. That is why they have the 160 character limit. FEMA and DHS have been dealing with this technical limitation for the text alert system they have been working on.
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 | wtansill
Ncc1701
join:2000-10-10
Falls Church, VA
| Re: Cost is already paid? said by marigolds :There actually is a very significant bandwidth problem for SMS. That is why they have the 160 character limit. FEMA and DHS have been dealing with this technical limitation for the text alert system they have been working on. Could you elaborate on this please? | |
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marigolds
Gainfully employed, finally
Premium,MVM
join:2002-05-13
Saint Louis, MO
| Re: Cost is already paid? Unfortunately I don't have the technical background for it.
Basically though, the SMS provider is separate from the cellular provider and the SMS message is sent over a different protocol (that's why there is no way to geolocate an SMS message, but you can geolocate a cell phone call). The gateway network for SMS is a different network from that for PLMN. | |
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| | | Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH | Re: Cost is already paid? SMS uses the SS7 protocol (for anyone who cares). As far as not being able to triangulate it, I'm not so sure about that, but I'll defer to the experts.
- Tate
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Happiness is an OC-768 in your basement... | |
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patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY | AFAIK, a Verizon cellphone call is 3600 txt messages ((9600*60) bytes /160) per minute. Have fun getting drilled by the cellular bubba. | |
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