Little fact
I work for a telecomms company and so far i've learned that
It doesn't cost a network operater (o2, orange ect) anything for you to be able to send a text but they still charge you 12p for it.

I should probably learn more about my job.

ohh and if your phone is stolen and then you block it people can still use it abroad as it's only blocked for networks in the UK.
(NuffMuff fucks shrubbery, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 9:54, 13 replies)

I thought it cost a tiny amount, rather than zero
The amount of bandwidth a text uses is minimal compared to a voice call. And most providers will give you unlimited texts in a bundle deal now anyway. About bloody time too.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 9:56, closed)

..
As the phone sends a message to the nearest base station or big ariel tihngy a few hundred times a minute there's enough space in the message sent to carry a full text so when they get sent they get lumped in with the original message and therefore having used no extra bandwidth than usual.
(NuffMuff fucks shrubbery, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 10:05, closed)

But the phone only send a message to the base station
every few minutes, unless you're on a call, doesn't it?

I may be wrong with this, and your logic does make sense, but I thought the phone was essentially a passive receiver which occasionally reminded the network it was still there unless it's actually being used for communication.

But I'm not an expert, so am prepared to be proved wrong.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 11:30, closed)

I take it back...partly
The text message can be relayed over the network as part of the intra-network signalling comms without requiring extra bandwidth. It's only the initial transmission from the sender's phone and final relay to the receiver's phone that requires a separate message to go out.

So in that sense, it's free to the operators.1
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 11:38, closed)

yeah's
thats pretty much it its the final legs that costs them but it's something ridiculusly small like 0.001p per message sent out so theres a massive mark up on it
(NuffMuff fucks shrubbery, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 11:43, closed)

I shall steal a phone
and go abroad.
(Bear Pookie The Frankly Challenged. Halloween is coming to town., Thu 6 Aug 2009, 10:28, closed)

Or just
change the IMEI?
(tty, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 10:32, closed)

Ok
An SMS message = 160 characters. Thats 1280 bytes, slightly over 1KB. An ethernet packet has a data capacity of 1500bytes, more than enough to carry a message. I have a router here at work which - just checking - TODAY - transmitted 2,334,987,122 packets. The router cost £600. Ignoring line costs for now, For my £600, I could have sent over 2 billion texts at a cost of approx 3x10^-5 pence each. Now, assuming that router lasted one year, and my figures above are based one half days sending, thats about 6x10^-8 pence per text, or 0.0000000535p/sms

Now thats just me. Maybe there's a giant infrastructure to support the transmission of all these texts. But I tell you what, there fucking isnt.

The biggest cost to the telco for SMS services? The billing. The billing of the SMS is the biggest cost, not the infrastructure itself. If they stopped billing you for sending texts, they'd probably save money.
( I have run out of coke is a little sweaty, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 12:25, closed)

.
www.physorg.com/news129793047.html
(AyeMe, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 12:53, closed)

But
the whole point is that the texts are sent with the signalling system so no extra bandwidth would be needed so they are virtually free as there is space left over on the packet containing the signal and header and such
(NuffMuff fucks shrubbery, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 13:05, closed)

that scientist
compared to 5pence a text costs. So he's a factor of several trillion out.
( I have run out of coke is a little sweaty, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 13:41, closed)

Phone companies
charge us double and a bit more than the scientist said so i'd be happy if they were right

but alas there thick as shit
(NuffMuff fucks shrubbery, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 13:44, closed)

*they're
not there.
(AyeMe, Thu 6 Aug 2009, 13:47, closed)