How Reliable are Cell Phones

Cellular phones and pagers are part of the "now" generation, instant contact, anywhere at any time. People are looking for convenience, comfort and security. The question is how instantaneous and reliable is the contact?

Talking with someone is the main use for a cell phone, yet due to poor reception how often do calls not go through, or important calls "dropped" due to flaky coverage? Let us not forget, that in a time of tragedy, lines were congested and the resounding "all circuits busy" messages were heard from coast to coast. There is certainly room for improvement if you want to reach out and touch someone.

The alternative to voice communication is traditional text messaging, enjoyed by the young as SMS, a 'hip' communication method, and the older as the tried and true paging, a trustworthy means of communication. A carrier receives pages or text messages via a traditional dial up modem or Internet connection to their terminal, and then broadcasts the messages over their network to the appropriate wireless device. How instant is sending a text message? The answer might surprise you...it depends.

Traditional means of sending text messages is surprisingly reliable and fast. However, many cellular carriers, wishing to merge technologies while keeping costs down, have opted to utilize email technology to send text messages. Why not, an email is nothing more than a text message, using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). On the surface this sounds like a great idea, nearly everyone has email access, and the use of the Internet streamlines the sending of messages.

What is often overlooked, is the fact that email was not designed to be time sensitive. There can be significant delays and an instantaneous receipt can be lost when sending email to a pager or cell phone. Text messages sent via the email protocol SMTP could take a more scenic delivery route. While in many cases, receiving messages in a timely fashion is not critical; some industries require and benefit from the receipt of urgent messages. It is therefore important to realize and make a distinction between the protocols that are designed for instantaneous communication and those that are not.

If sending messages immediately to a cell phone or pager is required, more reliable protocols are available. When sending text messages, via a modem, the Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol (TAP) is extremely dependable, albeit slower due to the modem dialing. If sending messages with a high-speed Internet connection use the newer time sensitive Internet protocols: Simple Network Paging Protocol (SNPP) and Wireless Communication Transfer Protocol (WCTP). If your carrier supports these protocols they are the better options for sending important messages.

If carriers understand the "now" generation is about speed and reliability, customer satisfaction will improve. Text messaging is a reliable and useful communication method, especially since voice is not always convenient or possible. With public awareness and urging, carriers will increase their offerings of text messaging protocols. Carriers should offer email or SMTP, but they must also support time sensitive protocols, regardless, of whether the protocols are older such as TAP or newer such as WCTP.

Resources -

Carriers supporting SNPP - http://www.notepage.net/snpp.htm

Carriers supporting WCTP - http://www.notepage.net/wctp.htm

About The Author

Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.small-business-software.net

In The News:

pen paper and inkwell


cat break through


The Importance Of Cell Phones In Modern Society

Cell phones have become a necessity for many people throughout... Read More

Protective Accessories For Your Cell Phone

Like most electronic devices, cell phones are remarkably fragile. Your... Read More

Do Cellular Phones Pose Health Risks?

You hear it in the media on a slow news... Read More

Family Cell Phone Plans - Comparison Shopping To Help You Choose The Best Plan

With the myriad of cell phone plans that are available... Read More

Wireless... Are You Connected?

If you look around at any given time in public,... Read More

Prevent Phone Monitoring with Digital Spread Spectrum

If you are using an analog cordless or cellular telephone,... Read More

SMS 101 - Short Message Service Explained

Short Message Service (SMS) is a quick and simple way... Read More

Recycling Mobile Phones

Recycle Cell PhonesTechnological advancements providing users with improved reception through... Read More

Cell Phone Cameras

A lot of myths exist regarding as to whether the... Read More

Call Mexico at Rates as Amazing as the Murals

It's a country that speaks through its numerous murals and... Read More

Letting Go of 3G - A Viable Alternative for Asian Carriers

Most Asian cellular carriers mulling over 3G have chalked out... Read More

What Are Smart Phones And Do You Need One?

Smart phones are a combination of a cell phone and... Read More

Cellular Phone

Technology advances in cellular phone field.Cellular phone shoppers can find... Read More

Cell Phone Abuse - Tips to Curb Employee Abuse

Looking for a way to save your enterprise or government... Read More

Cell phone Etiquette. The Do?s and Don?ts

With more and more people buying cell phones, it becomes... Read More

Sorting Through Your Cellular Phone Options

Some people purchase a cellular phone for emergency use only,... Read More

Cellular Phone Services & Bill Payment Services: The New Wave For Merchant Retailers

PREPAID CELLULAR TIMEPrepaid Cellular Are A Smart Choice!There are huge... Read More

How to Find the Best Cellular Phone Service Deal

Finding the best cellular phone service deal can seem as... Read More

Cell Phone Abuse: Are You A Victim?

Like millions of others, you may be the victim of... Read More

The Teen Cellular Phone Market is Growing in Leaps and Bounds

Everywhere you turn around, you see someone talking on a... Read More

Billing Woes For Telcos

The rapid rise in the telecom industry over the last... Read More

Smartphones - Beyond Voice to Information and Entertainment

Investments in shares of wireless technology companies and wireless service... Read More

Cell Phone - Helping You Choose

When the first cell phone arrived onto the market it... Read More

Some Tips For The Safe Use of Cell Phones And Batteries

1. Increase the life span of your cell phone and... Read More

Safer Cell Phone Use For Drivers

Cell phones are great for people on-the-go, but talking on... Read More

Getting the Most of Your Cell Phone Batteries

Are you planning on buying a new phone in the... Read More

PDA Cell Phones - the New Generation of Wireless Phones

It's time you know what the latest technological gadget is.... Read More

Mobile Commerce: An Expectation for the Mobile Users In Pakistan

Mobile commerce is electronic commerce over wireless devices. Mobile commerce... Read More

Cheap Long Distance or is It Really? The Search Continues...

Each month, there are countless Americans who are faced with... Read More

Frequency Pollution; Is it real?

Today we are finding since the beginning of radio and... Read More

Satellite Phones: Essential for the Marine Industry

With more offshore fishing boats taking customers further out into... Read More

Making Sense of Cellular Phone Minutes

Cellular phones are different from your land-line home phone in... Read More

Camera Phones - Are They The Real Deal?

It's no surprise If you've become interested in the new... Read More