Happily paying R1.5-million per GB

It is important to note that SMS messages and mobile data services do not use the same systems, so this type of cost comparison would not indicate whether operators are “overcharging” for SMS.
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Does mms messaging not use data / internet ?
I never use mms messaging, but if the identical text message were sent via mms, what would the cost be ?
 
When I read the title, I assumed, I would be reading someting about the cost a government department is paying per gb ....
 
grantza said:
Does mms messaging not use data / internet ?
I never use mms messaging, but if the identical text message were sent via mms, what would the cost be ?
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They use the same network, but on the "server" side, they get routed to an MMSC or to SMSC, which are fairly costly systems. However, I feel that an operator that wants to differentiate itself on the market, should write that cost off as paid for, and take only the operational expenditure into account. If I were an operator, I'd make SMS on my own network free, and charge the customer only the terminating cost for SMSes to other networks.
 
SMS needs to die a horrible death. I hate people who use sms all the time.
Use Whatsapp for Pete's sake :mad:
 
as far as I have been lead to understand, an SMS uses "excessive" GSM signal that the towers use to locate your phone in order to send calls. that means in theory an sms does not cost the network anything.

source: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/e-mail-messaging/sms.htm

I know there was an article about this ages ago with vodacom arguing why and what the cost of an sms is, it all came down to "backbone communication" if memory serves.

I wish I could find that article again though.
 
Garyvdh said:
SMS needs to die a horrible death. I hate people who use sms all the time.
Use Whatsapp for Pete's sake :mad:
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Yeah... You are right. Time fire the gardener and the cleaner, because how dare they not have smart phones.

You realise that SMS works where data connections are crappy.
 
Garyvdh said:
SMS needs to die a horrible death. I hate people who use sms all the time.
Use Whatsapp for Pete's sake :mad:
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I don't know Pete, nor do I much care for him. :-p

Taken from xkcd:
preferred_chat_system.jpg

Email me. Any other methods might or might not, and probably the latter, work.
 
Tacet said:
They use the same network, but on the "server" side, they get routed to an MMSC or to SMSC, which are fairly costly systems. However, I feel that an operator that wants to differentiate itself on the market, should write that cost off as paid for, and take only the operational expenditure into account. If I were an operator, I'd make SMS on my own network free, and charge the customer only the terminating cost for SMSes to other networks.
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Virgin gives you 1000 free SMS to all networks.
 
Virgin gives you 1000 free SMS to all networks.
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but then you are on Virgin and we all know how stable the non Vodacom, Non MTN networks are. and I am sorry, Free SMSes are not enough to make up for dropped calls, bad coverage, and low data connectivity speed.

and I also agree, sms needs to die now. follow the xkcd method and respond to sms with a different IM client of some form.
 
Garyvdh said:
SMS needs to die a horrible death. I hate people who use sms all the time.
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LOL... we even have users who sometimes send SMS... from BB to another guy with BB.... ... some things, no medicine :-)
maybe they trying to use up the 'free' sms bundle iso data for email... which on BB (not v10) doesnt really help
 
Garyvdh said:
SMS needs to die a horrible death. I hate people who use sms all the time.
Use Whatsapp for Pete's sake :mad:
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A classic MyBB "Everyone should be like me" post.

There are 5 times more people using SMS than WhatsApp but those 20 million South Africans whose phones don't support WhatsApp must just ****. :rolleyes:
 
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Voice, SMS, USSD, and CSD are all on the circuit switched segment of the network, not packet switched like GPRS, EDGE, 3G, HSPA and LTE.

The circuit switched network is 2G technology and therefor the maximum speed you can get from it is 57.6 kbit/s provided you have HSCSD enabled.

Packet switched networking is by far cheaper and less complex, hence the lower price. Most networks are entirely IP based these days and run their CS network onto op an IP based core, so technically it should be just as cheap.
 
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