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News
Issue #2002 - 09
(March 2002)
(Updated Mar.
6, 2002)
INFRASTRUCTURE, PRODUCTS & SERVICES
U.S. Carriers Launch Inter-Carrier
Text Messaging Services
Both Cingular Wireless and
VoiceStream have launched their inter-carrier text messaging
services across their respective coverage areas. Now customers will
have the ability to communicate with the majority of text messaging
enabled users in the U.S. regardless of their wireless carrier.
"We’ve made this new service as easy to use as placing a
call," said Robert Dotson, VoiceStream’s COO. "Customers
simply type a message on their phone and then address it to a
ten-digit wireless phone number."
Even though Cingular Wireless handles tens of millions of
messages every month, the new service "is essential to
achieving mass adoption of text messaging and increasing text
messaging usage in the U.S.," according to Stephen Krom, vice
president of business marketing.
Mr. Dotson of VoiceStream agrees, "The proliferation of text
messaging in the U.S. is only limited by the carriers who have yet
to commercially deploy inter-carrier functionality in their network,
which would enable their customers to respond to, as well as
receive, VoiceStream text messages."
For more information: http://www.cingular.com
http://www.voicestream.com
Mobileinfo Comments & Advisory: Finally,
US carriers have seen the necessity to allow switching of SMS messages
across different operators. Sometimes, we wonder why it took them
so long to understand something that was a basic requirement. If network
operators felt that they should support SMS within their own subscriber
group, they should have either got the monopolistic power that Microsoft
Windows has or should not have got consumers accustomed to voice
switching in the first place. We are making these "tongue and
cheek" remarks intentionally because we are seeing the same
attitude across m-commerce and content distribution world. Sooner the
business development and carrier technology infrastructure architects
realize the need for open-ness and interoperability at all levels,
faster would their long term dream of 3G wireless application adoption
come true. They will serve their shareholders better this way.
Note: This news release may contain
forward-looking statements. Readers should take appropriate caution in
developing plans utilizing these products, services and technology
architectures. All trademarks used in this summary are
the property of their respective owners.
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