Metro pcs SMS

[Ramico86]

Hi.
can someone tell me If I can send sms. I want to suscribe for google phone.
I have metropcs. thats my service provider. I can send text messages to another phone. but i cant suscribe to google. google's number is 46645 for sms.
Thank you
Ramiro

[Andy]

If you can send SMS to other phones, you should be able to send SMS to google as well.
I'm not sure what you mean by subscribing to google, but you can send things like "7 Eleven, Salt Lake City, UT" to that number and it will send you back addresses and phone numbers...at least that's what I use it for.

[Ramico86]

so you have metropcs.
how do you do it?
Thank you

[Andy]

I do not have metropcs, but all you have to do to use google's service is send a question via SMS to 46645 and you'll get a SMS back with a resonse.

[ccnemrod]

what exactly is an sms??

and yes, i have metro pcs.... and u can do sms i think. jsut dont know what it is

[kprime]

My mobile phone service provider is MetroPCS and it also does not allow me to send SMS (aka text messages) to Google's SMS service/gateway. The result is that when I attempt to send a message to 46645 (GOOGL), the phone indicates that the message could not be sent. That is, it fails. I can, however, send SMS / text messages to other phones and to email addresses from my MetroPCS phone.

If anyone has any more information on this clear blockage by MetroPCS, please share with the group. I'm guessing that they are trying to eliminate the competition to their own directory service (or unlimited for $2 / month). This seems illegal, or at least undisclosed on signing up with the service (MetroPCS).

Originally Posted by Andy

If you can send SMS to other phones, you should be able to send SMS to google as well.
I'm not sure what you mean by subscribing to google, but you can send things like "7 Eleven, Salt Lake City, UT" to that number and it will send you back addresses and phone numbers...at least that's what I use it for.

[bugmenot1]

Metro PCS does free SMS to phones, but doesn't support the idea of shortcodes currently. Shortcodes are the 4-8 digit numbers in the US used to SMS between applications and cell users. The issue is one of routing messages to the right plance and Metro doesn't support it.

I know, kinda stinks. I work for a company that manages shortcodes and we're trying to get metro on board. Let them know what you think!

[kprime]

Originally Posted by bugmenot1

Metro PCS does free SMS to phones, but doesn't support the idea of shortcodes currently. Shortcodes are the 4-8 digit numbers in the US used to SMS between applications and cell users. The issue is one of routing messages to the right plance and Metro doesn't support it.

I know, kinda stinks. I work for a company that manages shortcodes and we're trying to get metro on board. Let them know what you think!

Thanks for your helpful comment, bugmenot1!

I didn't know there was a "shortcode" system. I have tried to let MetroPCS know what I think, though doing this requires the formality of writing a letter (as opposed to commenting to the customer service/support call center).

On discussing the situation with some other people, I thought of another reason for MetroPCS skipping the shortcode texting: automatic billing to sender. I believe there are some services that use shortcodes that would, on other carriers, automatically bill the subscriber (e.g. me) for sending a text. Examples might include popularity based, SMS "voting" (e.g. for a TV show), as well as services like obtaining ringtones etc. Google's SMS service does not charge, but I'm guessing that the shortcode service providers (you?) don't provide the client (in this case MetroPCS) a means of distinguishing between free or fee-based shortcode services, or any way for the client to take an action based on the fee. MetroPCS could, for example, take those costs from customers' prepaid, misc. fee accounts (MetroPCS has one called "TravelTalk").

So, my suggestion to MetroPCS and shortcode service providers (or intermediaries) is to make it easy for MetroPCS to provide free (or fixed cost) services while letting them bow out from the ones that charge. After all, MetroPCS's market segment is for those who are cost-conscious and who do not want unexpected or variable bills.

K

[bugmenot1]

quick and dirty explaination of shortcode system:

shortcodes are purchased through an independant association and assigned for a particular time period. Although a company purchases said shortcode, they can do nothing with it until they are 'provisioned' by each carrier. Provisioned is working with a carrier to route SMS traffic to the appropraite place. Provisioning also encompasses setup premium vs standard sms. Premium being one that incurs additional charges on a cell phone users bill. Metro could easily refuse provising of the premium codes and include those with standard billing parameters (free to the user). Also, Metro can charge companies wanting to provision for the traffic they generate (still free to the user).

All this to say, Metro could easily make the google thing work. They may not, however, have the resources or network functionality built out to do so.

[bonch]

Hello everyone.
I'm from Moldova, that's in east europ (former ussr) and my syster lives in us now. She wants to subscribe to metroPSC now and does not know if it's possible to SMS to europe GSM numbers. Could any one help me to get the list of suppored Europe GSM networks where she can send SMS to.
Thanks.

[COtech]

Originally Posted by bonch

Hello everyone.
I'm from Moldova, that's in east europ (former ussr) and my syster lives in us now. She wants to subscribe to metroPSC now and does not know if it's possible to SMS to europe GSM numbers. Could any one help me to get the list of suppored Europe GSM networks where she can send SMS to.
Thanks.

Bonch, MetroPCS has that list on this page, to select the TextTalk Global feature.

It shows that MetroPCS users with the "TextTalk Global" feature ($3.00/month) can text to:
Moldova Wireless Carrier How To Dial
MOLDCELL dial 011 + 373 + mobile number

011 is the USA's international access code. Most phones have a screen to put it in, and permit using "+" instead on the phone keypad.

COtech

[bonch]

COtech.
Thanks for your post.
It was helpful.
But I called to this network customer care and they said that their subscribers are not able to send SMS to metroPSC.
So seems that it's not bidirectional.

[bugmenot1]

the problem is google's number is 466453.

[Charlyee]

Originally Posted by bugmenot1

the problem is google's number is 466453.

Originally Posted by Andy

I do not have metropcs, but all you have to do to use google's service is send a question via SMS to 46645 and you'll get a SMS back with a resonse.

46645 & 466453 both work for me.