Why a Text Message is Often Better Than an Email or Voice Call
I recently went on holiday in rural New Hampshire on the east coast of the United States. During the week my daughter had an important call scheduled. Unfortunately it turned out we were travelling in the car at the time on the way to a nature reserve.
When the mobile rang, my daughter answered. All was well for the first two or three minutes, but then she lost the call. The person called back shortly after and they were able to talk another couple of minutes. But the call was lost again.
New Hampshire is very mountainous. The people there are also very protective of their natural habitats, making it difficult for mobile carriers to put up towers in rural environments. As a result, the network coverage is patchy as you move away from the central part of the state.
When we arrived at our destination, we noticed that we had only limited mobile service – just one bar on an extended network which explained the dropped calls. Then we noticed there was a text message waiting. My daughter replied and continued having a text message conversation rather than a voice call.
Afterwards she tried to get email, but it wouldn’t load. The signal just wasn’t strong enough.
So why did the text messages make it through, but no calls or emails?
The reason gets a little complicated, but the short answer is a text message uses less bandwidth than a voice call. Email can use less bandwidth than a voice call too, but it depends on how many you have, what format, and if there are images.
So in areas with limited service, it’s more likely that the lower bandwidth text message would get through. That’s great news for emergency services using text messaging or anyone that is looking to have a high real-time delivery rate regardless of location.
Of course there are all sorts of places where mobile coverage isn’t great. There are also situations where mobile communications are stressed and voice calls can’t be completed. Natural or man made disasters are guaranteed to overload mobile networks that may also be damaged. If you want to read an interesting account of such an example, take a look at this blog on Crackberry.com. The author recounts what is was like to be in New York City on 9/11 when the twin towers were attacked. He goes into a bit of detail about the technology used on mobile networks and why text messages (especially on the Blackberry network) were able to get through that day when voice calls failed to connect.
We have our own version of that story here at fastsms too. On the morning of the 7/7 bombings in London back in 2005 we were contacted by certain emergency services within minutes of the terrible event. We were informed that “an emergency” was taking place and that the conventional mobile network in the capital was overwhelmed. So it was the fastsms network that was used throughout the day to coordinate rescue services. A most poignant underlining of the resilience of the network.
Is there any particular place where you have issues with voice calls but not texts?
Related Articles
7 Ways Business Coaches are Using SMS Marketing
The digital age has seen a rise in demand for business coaches to aid you in every aspect of your entrepreneurial efforts. From money mindset to technological solutions, earning passive income and attracting high-paying clients, these days there's a coach for everything. But running a coaching business isn't as simple as the hype would suggest. SMS marketing is the perfect way of supercharging your promotion of your coaching business, here's how.
6 Ways Gyms Are Using SMS Marketing
Marketing for gyms and leisure centres is unlike marketing within many other industries. It's not enough to simply gain a customer and expect to keep them indefinitely. It's important to make every attempt to keep that customer dedicated and interested in achieving their fitness goals to avoid lapsed memberships and cancellations. It's in every gym's best interest to have a loyal customer base that feels supported and encouraged to attend the gym regularly. Failure to do so can result in members who feel it is a waste of money to pay for a membership that they don't use often enough. That's where SMS marketing can make a big difference.
SMS Voting Ideal for Creative Communities to Engage Followers
Twitter is a great place to quickly scan and see what is going on in the world, or in a particular niche topic. I was looking around at SMS related topics the other day and found many good (and some not so good) articles. But I also found many more pleas for votes from musicians, bands, and even illustrators.
How Letting Agents are Using SMS Messaging
Help Patients Stay Healthy with SMS Reminders to Take Their Prescriptions
Last year, over 1 billion prescription items were dispensed in England. There were, on average, 19 prescription items per person in England, almost half the population is taking prescription medications. It's safe to assume some people are finding it hard to keep track, enter SMS.
3 Examples of Using SMS Messaging for Hotel Customer Satisfaction Surveys
Even great hotels sometimes have a mix up or some sort of problem that can affect a guest. And with social media and hotel review sites, chances are a disgruntled guest isn’t going to keep their complaints to themselves. Here are three examples of how to use SMS messaging to gauge customer satisfaction.
Travel Agents Should use SMS Messaging During the Off Season
Now that the peak travel season is over, how can travel agents stay top of mind in their customers? If you look around, you’ll notice everyone seems to have a mobile. That means SMS is the perfect way to reach them and make sure you’re not forgotten.
SMS Marketing Strategies for Sports Massage Therapists
Why SMS Marketing is Perfect for the Automotive Industry
Most car dealerships and garages already have almost everything in place to start an effective SMS marketing campaign. When customers go into a car garage to have a service or a MOT done, they almost always give the dealership their mobile phone number. The reason for this is simple: if a customer is bringing their car in to get checked and they don't want to wait around for any work to be carried out, they'll simply head into town or run a few errands, until the garage gives them a call on their mobile to let them know the work has been done. That means most garages will have a healthy amount of mobile numbers already in their database, but quite often a garage will overlook the potential that their database of contacts presents.
How The Tourism Industry can use SMS Marketing
Today we’re bringing our technology with us on our travels - using our smartphones to create a more personalised experience, one that points us towards tailor-made itineraries. This means those who promote certain sectors of the travel industry are in a strong position to have their SMS marketing campaigns favourably received.