SMS

Note: Update for latest issue, see bug 2973

SMS Service in the USA

Q: Is it possible to use the sms_app over zap without the .call file?
A: in newer versions of asterisk there is smsq - a tool that sends sms from the command line.

Please note that there's also chan_mobile that omes with the application MobileSendSMS() for mobile phones that are connected to Asterisk via Bluetooth.

Synopsis

Communicates with both SMS service centres and SMS capable analogue phones
Can exchange SMS with Asterisk servers using IAX2 (and maybe also other protocols)

Note: Some VoIP phones (like the SNOM products) support SMS, however the term "SMS" doesn't necessarily always refer to GSM-based SMS - it can also mean "instant message as sent by MSN".

Description

SMS(queuename|[a][s])

SMS(queuename|[s]|number|message)deprecated

a	answer, i.e. send initial FSK packet.
s	act as service centre talking to a phone.

SMS handles exchange of SMS data with a call to/from SMS capable phone or SMS PSTN service centre. Can send and/or receive SMS messages.

Returns 0 if call handled correctly, or -1 if there were any problems.

Note: Usage of the second variant, to queue a message, is depricated in favour of the command line application smsq.

Details

SMS() is an application to handles calls to/from text message capable phones and message centres using ETSI ES 201 912 protocol 1 FSK messaging over analogue calls.

Basically it allows sending and receiving of text messages over the PSTN. It is compatible with BT Text service in the UK and works on ISDN and PSTN lines. It is designed to connect to an ISDN or zap interface directly and uses FSK so would probably not work over any sort of compressed link.

The SMS module for asterisk was developed by Adrian Kennard, and is an implementation of the ETSI specification for landline SMS, ETSI ES 201 912, which is available from www.etsi.org. Landline SMS is starting to be available in various parts of Europe, and is available from BT in the UK. However, asterisk would allow gateways to be created in other locations such as the US, and use of SMS capable phones such as the Magic Messenger. SMS works using analogue or ISDN lines.

Background

Short Message Service (SMS), or texting is very popular between mobile phones. A message can be sent between two phones, and normally contains 160 characters. There are ways in which various types of data can be encoded in a text message such as ring tones, and small graphic, etc. Text messaging is being used for voting and competitions, and also spam...

Sending a message involves the mobile phone contacting a message centre (SMSC) and passing the message to it. The message centre then contacts the destination mobile to deliver the message. The SMSC is responsible for storing the message and trying to send it until the destination mobile is available, or a timeout.

Landline SMS works in basically the same way. You would normally have a suitable text capable landline phone, or a separate texting box such as a Magic Messenger on your phone line. This sends a message to a message centre your telco provides by making a normal call and sending the data using 1200 Baud FSK signaling according to the ETSI spec. To receive a message the message centre calls the line with a specific calling number, and the text capable phone answers the call and receives the data using 1200 Baud FSK signaling. This works particularly well in the UK as the calling line identity is sent before the first ring, so no phones in the house would ring when a message arrives. ...