35 Million to send HD movie via AT&T SMS Roaming Rates

[Winnow]

Interesting analysis on cost of data transmission:

Now lets do the math here one step at a time:

1024 bytes = 1 KB
1024 KB = 1 MiB
1024 MB = 1 GB
1024 * 1024 * 1024 = 1,073,741,824 bytes per GB

Now that we know how many bytes are in 1GB, we can divide that number by 140, the number of bytes of data you can send in a text message. 1,073,741,824 / 140 = 7,669,585 (rounded up)

This means we have to send 7,669,585 SMS messages to send 1GB of data (and this is assuming you can represent any set of data in an SMS message which I don't believe you can, but that's besides the point since it would just make this already large number even larger).

Finally, since AT&T charges $0.50 per SMS message, we just multiply our number of messages by $0.50 to get…

$3,834,792.50

If you were sending that 1GB of data to another AT&T customer, that amount would be:

$7,669,585

What's this mean? If you wanted to send a typical HD video from one AT&T cell phone to another via SMS messages, assuming the video is 4.6GB in size, it would cost:

$35,280,091

So there you have it. $35 Million to send a 4.6GB HD movie from one phone to another using SMS while roaming.

http://gizmodo.com/5936672/it-costs-35- ... ing-on-att

[Zaelath]

Zomg, repost from 2008: http://gthing.net/the-true-price-of-sms-messages

><

[Winnow]

Zomg, repost from 2008: http://gthing.net/the-true-price-of-sms-messages

><

Nice! I never really used SMS and only use it now because it's free with iMessage between iPhones.

[Fairweather Pure]

On a semi related note, Comcast has "temporarily" suspended download caps. They are monitoring usage and looking into a tiered payment plan. I have DLing like a motherfucker. I gotta skew the numbers in my favor! Rumor has it they are looking at raising the minimum from 250GB to 300GB and will be charging 10$ per 50GB over the limit. Much more reasonable than "If you DL anything over the 250GB and your service can be suspended indefinitely".

[Aabidano]

Zomg, repost from 2008: http://gthing.net/the-true-price-of-sms-messages

><

Nice! I never really used SMS and only use it now because it's free with iMessage between iPhones.

In non-us markets, S and SW Asia in particular data over SMS is popular, unlimited SMS packages are cheap and data is expensive or non-existent.

(SMS, like ping is a side-use of something that was already there for a different purpose)

[Winnow]

(SMS, like ping is a side-use of something that was already there for a different purpose)

yeah, SMS just seemed like a monster rip-off to me, at least here in the U.S. Services like iMessage from Apple (and other companies) are helping to fix that. I think I pay $5.00 for 200 SMS messages/month with AT&T just for the few SMS messages that don't go to other iPhones (rare!). Otherwise its .50 each...so it's worth it to pay $5 as long as I send/receive a non iMessage SMS more than 10 times in a month.

[Animalor]

The thing with SMS is that it isn't actually going over the data network like iMessage was. It's something that was added to the voice system and runs on completely different infrastructure. I'm not excusing the wholesale gauging but a phone with just a voiceplan will be able to SMS whereas iMessage/WhatApp/BBM/etc/etc/etc will not work without that data plan or Wi-Fi.

[Aabidano]

SMS was originally part of the background handset location and call set up messaging for CDMA, think UMTS/GSM had very similar mechanisms. In CDMA-land that's a very constrained chuck of RF bandwidth. When unlimited SMS plans first started coming out ~5 years ago it really caused problems. 5000 teens texting Mom, Biff & Buffy at the end of the school day could flood out the resources needed to deliver voice calls in an area. Same with sports events, etc...

iMessage is just a data service (afik), hoovering up some more marketable data for Apple.

[Winnow]

iMessage is just a data service (afik), hoovering up some more marketable data for Apple.

No, iMessage is free and works great and is well integrated with SMS so it switches between the two.

I understand all the hubbub about SMS and don't care. It's still over priced.

[Aabidano]

It's still over priced.

Yep, and super profitable. (wasn't disparaging iMessage)

[miir]

iMessage has fuck all to do with sms...

[Winnow]

iMessage has fuck all to do with sms...

You are completely wrong. It's integrated right into SMS with iPhones so it saves a ton if both parties are on iPhones. If it was a completely different app you might have a minute point.

...kinder gentler

[Animalor]

LOL at obvious Winnow trolling but...

The messaging app will default to SMS unless is detects that the e-mail address in that contact is also an Apple ID. If it detects that, it'll default to Apple service. If the person doesn't have an iPhone but has a Mac with iMessage or an iPad not with them, the app will deliver to those devices with iMessage and the person won't get it on their non-iPhone. (My co-worker sent me what he thought was an SMS message that got delivered to my iPod touch that I got hours later.) Having them together is actually a bit of a pain in the ass.

[Winnow]

LOL at obvious Winnow trolling but...

The messaging app will default to SMS unless is detects that the e-mail address in that contact is also an Apple ID. If it detects that, it'll default to Apple service. If the person doesn't have an iPhone but has a Mac with iMessage or an iPad not with them, the app will deliver to those devices with iMessage and the person won't get it on their non-iPhone. (My co-worker sent me what he thought was an SMS message that got delivered to my iPod touch that I got hours later.) Having them together is actually a bit of a pain in the ass.

Your friend must be color blind. Green = SMS Blue = iMessage

Also in the background of the text entry box it says "SMS" or "iMessage" before you type.

[miir]

SMS isn't a fucking 'app'

[Winnow]

SMS isn't a fucking 'app'

no one said it was. but...you FUCKING MORON, on the iPhone, it is accessed via an app with both SMS and iMessage integrated into it. Next you'll be telling me how your wife can't figure out the difference between iMessages and SMS. I'm sorry to hear that in advance. Sometimes I wonder if you know anything other than the names of a few obscure bands.

[miir]

If it was a completely different app you might have a minute point.

[miir]

I get facebook chat, visual voicemail and other messages in the same 'app'... that doesn't mean that they are the same fucking thing as SMS. It doesn't mean they are remotely fucking similar aside from being text based messages.

[Winnow]

No one is saying it's the same as SMS or that SMS is an app. On iPhones, The APP that you use to access SMS also has iMessage seamlessly integrated. It's not a separate app. It's not some cheesy third party IM with SMS capabilities. I really don't think you're trolling and are clueless. I hope you don't work in the tech industry.

[Zaelath]

Brilliant troll or drooling fanboi, I can't decide

[Animalor]

Just as a quick aside - Windows Phone does SMS, Windows Messenger AND Facebook messenger seamlessly from their messaging app. =) Completely seamless too.

[Winnow]

Just as a quick aside - Windows Phone does SMS, Windows Messenger AND Facebook messenger seamlessly from their messaging app. =) Completely seamless too.

Which is a great. The more default Mobile OS SMS message apps that include alternatives to SMS the better. I used to use Yahoo IM which is a crappy crash happy app on both iPhone and Android phones, but with the solid reliability of iMessage, I don't have to bother with third party IMs anymore.

[Aabidano]

Brilliant troll or drooling fanboi, I can't decide

Troll yes but I'd lean more toward fanboi myself.

It is the way it is so they can get the maximum revenue from the users' data. My guess is getting the SMS contents from the provider to data-scrape costs money so they created iMessage to leach a bit more value from the platform. Biting the hand that feeds them just a little more too.