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Iridium
Short Message Service (SMS)

In addition to making and receiving phone calls, your Iridium satellite phone allows you to send and receive SMS text messages too.

Iridium SMS Capabilities:

  • Two-way global text messaging
  • Send and receive from other Iridium SMS subscribers
  • Iridium subscribers are able to receive SMS messages via @msg.iridium.com, where is the Iridium phone number
  • Send to and receive from cellular subscribers (when available)
  • 160 characters per message
  • Messages are stored until delivered (up to 8 days)
  • Supported on 9555, 9505 handsets, and 9522B LBTs with SMS capable firmware
  • SMS messages can be entered into the phone in one of two ways
    • Via the phone's keypad
    • Via the phone's data port, using standard AT commands
  • Weather information and alerts
  • Schedule information
  • News and sports information
  • Personal messaging
  • Basic email messaging
  • Remote application monitoring

Enabling SMS
To send an SMS from a qualified Iridium satellite phone, the service centre number must be programmed into the message settings

The subscriber's Iridium satellite phone must have the most recent firmware version.

Hardware Flash
Iridium 9505 and 9505A-based product must at least have the software version: LAC0307.  To determine handset software version on your Iridium satellite phone, enter '#91# on the keypad.

The handset software version will appear on the screen.  An Iridium L-Band Transceiver (LBT) must have at least software version SAC0307.  

How SMS works
Short Message Service (SMS) is a GSM-based system capability designed for both Mobile Origination (MO) and Mobile Termination (MT) of short text messages.

Numerous GSM-SMS applications have been developed for terrestrial GSM networks.  It should be possible to adapt existing terrestrial-based applications and also develop new applications using the Iridium SMS service.

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