[asterisk-users] SMS gateway recommendation

[Gordon Henderson]

On Mon, 24 Dec 2007, Nicolas Ross wrote:

> Here, we've tested in the past zimsms, but now the,re closed. We founded out
> that the most reliable and cost-effective way to send sms is with GPRS
> modem. Multitech manufacures excelent quality product for gprs, edge and
> others.
>
> So we opened up an sms-only acount, it costs us 10$ / month for 1000 sms
> sent, plus 10c each after, plus some other fees like 911 fees, etc. We
> generelay sent no more than a couple hundeds.
>
> With this modem hookup-up to a serial port, and a little program assuring
> the sending / receiving of sms (sms_link from Sourceforge)., and voilà !
>
> Here in Canada, all cellular providers are hooked-up one to another for
> passing of sms', so I send out my sms' with Rogers, but any user in any
> network receives it in about 1 to  5 seconds. I don't know if it's the same
> in the US or other countries.

Been like this in the UK for many years now (over 10?) Once the "big 4" 
got their act together there was quite literally an overnight explosion in 
then umber of texts sent. It's over a billion a month now IIRC ... (Hm. 
maybe more, a very qucik search turned up 3.3bn in May 2006...
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/06/26/uk_sms_record/

I did some research a while back for anothor project (in the UK) and would 
agree with Nicolas Ross regarding the use of your own GSM modem device - 
if you're sending in the order of 1000-2000 a month with a suitable 
SIM/contract/PAYG deal. (Orange were doing a deal at the time of 2000 
txt's a month for 20 quid) More than that and you'd probably be better off 
looking at a dedicated SMS messaging centre which accepts TXTs over the 
'net using a secure protocol... (eg someone like this in the UK 
http://www.smscarrier.com/ but this was just one of many I was looking at 
- not actually used them, but there must be equivalents world-wide)

Hardware wise, I use a Siemens TC35 GSM terminal, and a Telecom FM 
CellRoute box... (The latter has a port to plug a ordinary analogue phone 
into, or an asterisk box...)

Gordon