The following is from a Groups.io posting by Bruce – N7DDT

What is SMS?

Short Message Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile phones exchange short text messages, typically transmitted over cellular networks.

Can SMS be used between a cell phone and an online computer?

Yes. The computer handles text as email in the usual way. Each cell carrier i.e. Verizon, T-mobile, etc. has an email address that ports texting to a cell phone number. The user must know the carrier of the cell phone number being connected to utilize the carrier’s address.

How is SMS commonly used in EMCOMM?

During disasters and emergencies it is often desired to send “I’m okay” or “I am safe” type messages to a relative or friend. SMS works very well in this instance.

Can SMS be used with Winlink?

Yes, Winlink is a great vehicle for sending text messages via SMS. Here is the form used with Winlink.

file:///C:/Users/injec/AppData/Local/Temp/b4b797e7-4b0e-4d7f-a195-416eda4b92b2_welfare_message_initial.zip.2b2/Welfare_Message_Initial.html

How does one get the carrier’s email address for SMS?

A list of the most common carrier’s SMS can be found here:

https://www.fbbbrown.com/help-faq/app-help/runsafe/list-of-mobile-carrier-gateway-addresses/

What if you do not know the recipient’s carrier and cannot find it?

Radio Relay International has you covered.

https://radiorelay.org/sms/

This service is one-way, restricted to licensed radio operators that send messages via the Winlink network. RRI is developing an additional service for MMS that will bypass the carrier’s email-to-MMS/SMS gateways and inject messages into the MMS network directly.

Some resources:

Lookup a carrier by Phone number: https://www.carrierlookup.com/