Ofcom reviewing wholesale SMS termination

Wholesale SMS termination is when an SMS terminates on a mobile network from another network. This affects all operators as they exchange SMS traffic between networks.

However this also affects fixed networks (it's possible to send and receive SMSs through BT phone lines) and also companies that offer SMS applications (ringtones, advertising, alerts and such like). Currently operators (in the UK) are highly resistive to non-operators utilising telecoms links such as SS7 to send SMS traffic, and even if one operator agrees there is no guarantee that another will. Ofcom has been pushed heavily to allow this kind of service so operators are forced to act in a neutral manner to both operators and fixed line operators and application services.

The review is expected to take 12 to 18 months and there may be several consultations.