Cell phones use antennae to transmit and receive radio waves that carry binary information. Every cell tower presides over an area of land, where it receives and transmits radio waves. When a text message is written,
it is transmitted as binary code using a particular frequency of radio waves specific to that user
.
How do messages travel from one phone to another?
Text messages channel information
through a cellular tower
, which is essentially a two-way radio that accepts and relays information to and from cell phones. Radios emit what are known as radio waves, which are invisible and allow you to communicate back and forth with a radio.
Do text messages travel over WiFi?
Texting from your smartphone in another country means you will pay to send and receive texts messages if you send a traditional SMS. Luckily, there are free ways to send texts using WiFi.
When you have a WiFi connection you will not be using your data plan and all data will be sent and received over WiFi
.
Do text messages go through?
While
most SMS messages are sent through routes directly to the relevant phone numbers
, this is not always the case. Some SMS messages may be sent to a particular network provider that does not allow the delivery of a message.
How far can a text message travel?
Messages are limited to
160 characters
including spaces, hence the name “short messaging service.” Depending on your cell phone provider, your phone will either prevent you from typing past 160 characters, or it will send your message in blocks of 160 characters.
How long does it take a text message to travel?
It can take anywhere from
a few seconds to a few minutes
for a text message to get to a recipient unless the phone is off or out of range. The majority of messages are instant, but in some rare cases, sending can take a little longer.
How are cell phone signals transmitted?
When you’re talking on a cell phone, it converts your voice into a signal that is transmitted
via radio waves
to the nearest cell tower. The cell tower then relays the radio wave back to the person you’re speaking to, converting it first to a signal and then back to sound again.
Do text messages go through satellites?
Cell phones and satellite
As explained above that
the cell phones don’t use the satellite system on their own to make phone calls or for the delivery of text messages whatsoever
.
Where does a text go when you send it?
In the same way, when you send a message,
your phone sends it to the tower on the control channel and it goes from the tower to the SMSC and from there to its destination
. The actual data format for the message includes things like the length of the message, a time stamp, the destination phone number, the format, etc.
Can my neighbor read my text messages?
Yes, it’s definitely possible for someone to spy on your text messages
and it’s certainly something you should be aware of – this is a potential way for a hacker to gain a lot of private information about you – including accessing PIN codes sent by websites used to verify your identity (such as online banking).
Can my internet provider see my messages?
Yes, a network administrator can see your text messages if sent unencrypted over an unsecured connection
. Your cellular service provider can often see your text messages’ metadata, such as the length, date, time, and recipient of the text message. “Unencrypted messages over an unsecured connection” are big words.
Is text message and SMS the same?
SMS stands for Short Message Service and is another name for a text message
. An SMS is generally sent from one mobile device to another over the cellular network. SMS is a text-only standard first formalized in 1985 in the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standards.
Why do some of my texts not go through?
If your Android won’t send text messages, the first thing you should do is
make sure you have a decent signal
— without cell or Wi-Fi connectivity, those texts are going nowhere. A soft reset of an Android can usually fix an issue with outgoing texts, or you can also force a power cycle reset.
Why are my messages not delivering?
Fix problems sending or receiving messages
Make sure you have the most updated version of Messages
. If you have a SIM card, ensure that it is inserted properly. If you’re on Fi, sign in to the Project Fi app. Verify that Messages is set as your default texting app.
Why are some texts not delivered?
There are a number of reasons why an SMS message might not get delivered, but some of the most common are:
the recipient opted out of messages, the recipient blocked your phone number, the message contained illegal content, or there were network problems with the recipient’s carrier
.
How are SMS messages sent?
As for the actual transmission of an SMS,
the text message from the sending mobile device is stored in a separate channel called the short message service center (SMSC)
. Its primary job was forwarding messages to recipients and storing SMS messages if the recipient isn’t immediately available.
How do radio waves work in cell phones?
When the radio waves reach a receiver, the signal is converted back into the information that was originally sent by the transmitter. When you talk on a cell phone,
your cell phone acts as a transmitter and your voice is carried on radio waves to the person you are calling
.
How do text messages get delayed?
The location of the sender or recipient can create a delay in text message delivery
. What causes this varies from handset to handset, but common reasons are being on the border of two cell coverage areas or travelling at speeds above about 50km/h. This is most likely happening if messages arrive all at once.
Are text messages instant?
Text messaging and instant messaging are similar because they are both used to send text messages
. However, text messaging (“texting”) uses the cellular phone service, whereas instant messaging employs the Internet. Text messages are typically limited to 160 characters, but instant messages can be longer.
Can a text message be delayed for months?
So, the answer to this question is yes:
you can delay your subscribers receiving SMS campaigns until you want them to arrive
.
How do cell towers communicate with each other?
Cell phones communicate with nearby cell towers mainly
through RF waves
, a form of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum between FM radio waves and microwaves. Like FM radio waves, microwaves, visible light, and heat, they are forms of non-ionizing radiation.
How powerful is a cell phone transmitter?
Cell phones have low-power transmitters in them. Many cell phones have two signal strengths:
0.6 watts and 3 watts
(for comparison, most CB radios transmit at 4 watts). The base station is also transmitting at low power.
How far can a mobile phone transmit?
A typical cellphone has enough power to reach a cell tower
up to 45 miles
away. Depending on the technology of the cellphone network, the maximum distance may be as low as 22 miles because the signal otherwise takes too long for the highly accurate timing of the cellphone protocol to work reliably.
Do cell phone towers communicate with satellites?
Building an extraterrestrial mobile network is tricky because
cell phones aren’t designed to communicate with satellites
whizzing by at 17,000 mph, 300 miles above the ground. Instead, their software and hardware is optimized to connect with stationary cell towers that are never more than a couple dozen miles away.
Do cell phones use satellites or towers?
Cell phones do not use satellites, instead they rely on cellular towers for signal
. Satellite phones are not limited to the short range of cellular networks and offer global telecommunication at the same rate, anywhere.
Are cell phones satellites?
A satellite telephone, satellite phone or satphone is a type of mobile phone that connects to other phones or the telephone network by radio through
orbiting satellites instead of terrestrial cell sites, as cellphones do
.
