Q&A: MMS

What is MMS?

Does MMS work across different wireless carriers?

Are there any limits on the size of an MMS message?

How do wireless carriers deploy MMS?

Where is MMS available?

Can I send MMS messages to a PC?

How does 3G affect MMS?

What is MMS?

As its name implies, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a way to send and receive a variety of multimedia content, including text, still images, video clips and audio. These content types also can be combined into a single message. For example, a photo can be paired with a few lines of text or audio clip to describe the image. MMS also can be used as an alternative way to deliver existing services, such as voice mail.

MMS is similar to the popular Short Message Service (SMS), which supports text messages and content such as ringtones. Both services are widely supported by wireless operators and equipment vendors, and both are based on open standards to facilitate interoperability across different phone models and wireless networks. MMS messages can be exchanged even when the sender and recipient are on networks that use different technologies, such as GSM and CDMA.

Creating and sending an MMS message requires a wireless phone with a camera and MMS software. (Virtually all camera phones now include MMS software.) Camera phones are available in hundreds of models and at a variety of price points. In fact, camera phones increasingly are among the models that wireless carriers give away to attract new customers. Recipients can view and MMS message on a camera phone, but it is not required. For example, an MMS message sent to an older Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) phone without MMS would appear as a text message inviting the recipient to click on an embedded link to view the message on a Web site. An MMS message also can be sent to a PC, where the user would receive it as an e-mail.

MMS messages can be sent from one person to another, or from one person to multiple people. MMS messages also can be sent to e-mail addresses, so they can be viewed from a PC or on a smartphone that has e-mail software. A recent trend is the use of MMS to post directly to Web logs or “blogs.” This flexibility increases the usefulness of MMS, and in the process, it helps create additional revenue for wireless carriers.

Although most MMS messages are exchanged between individuals, the technology increasingly is used by companies for mobile advertising and promotions. For more examples, visit the Mobile Marketing Association’s Web site at http://mmaglobal.com.

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Does MMS work across different wireless carriers?

In most cases, yes. In fact, one of the reasons why MMS has become so popular so quickly is because the wireless industry was able to learn from the success of SMS: Text messaging usage skyrocketed when carriers began to make their SMS platforms interoperable with other carriers. As a result, users no longer were limited to sending SMS messages to people on the same network.

Although inter-carrier SMS took several years to implement, inter-carrier MMS has been achieved in a relatively short time. One example of the industry efforts to achieve inter-carrier MMS are the multi-technology MMS interoperability guidelines for the Americas, co-created by 3G Americas in 2004. (For more details, see Americas MMS Inter-carrier Implementation Guidelines.) These guidelines created a framework that allows MMS messages to be exchanged even when the sender and recipient are on networks that use different technologies, such as GSM and CDMA.

Interoperability is one of the reasons why MMS is increasingly popular with wireless users in the Americas and throughout the world. In fact, camera phones have outsold digital cameras by a wide margin since 2004. MMS is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 50% through 2009, according to In-Stat, an independent analyst firm. This trend is one of the reasons why data is driving an increasingly greater share of total revenue for wireless carriers. MMS also helps introduce consumers to data services and thus sets the stage for adoption of 3G services such as streaming multimedia.

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Are there any limits on the size of an MMS message?

MMS doesn't have inherent message-size limitations like SMS, which is limited to about 160 characters, depending on the language. Some operators have capped the size of an MMS message at about 100 KB, which is sufficient to carry, for example, a photo and a 10-second audio caption or clip describing the image.

MMS message sizes depend on a variety of factors. One is the resolution of the phone’s camera: the higher the resolution, the larger the message. Another factor is the network technology. For example, EDGE and UMTS networks provide broadband speeds, so operators that have upgraded to those technologies have more bandwidth to support applications such as large MMS messages. A third factor is the age of the MMS service: if it just launched, the operator might initially limit message sizes until it has a better understanding of how much data traffic MMS will drive.

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How do wireless carriers deploy MMS?

Besides selling MMS phones, an operator also must deploy one or more MMS Centers (MMSCs) in its network. This node is essentially a server dedicated to storing and forwarding MMS messages. The MMSC communicates with the operator's existing back-office systems, such as billing systems.

The MMSC also works with other pieces of network infrastructure to tailor an MMS message according to the recipient device's abilities, such as screen size and memory. For example, when the MMSC receives a message, it taps the network database to see what the recipient device can handle and then, if necessary, adjusts the message before forwarding it. If the MMS message is destined for a device that supports only SMS or WAP, the recipient may receive a text message with a link to a Web site where the MMS message can be viewed.

Like other network elements, MMSCs can be upgraded to support additional traffic, such as when MMS becomes popular. Carriers routinely upgrade their MMSCs or deploy additional ones to keep up with user demand and thus ensure a good experience, such as timely message delivery.

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Where is MMS available?

MMS is available from more than 310 GSM networks worldwide (November 2006). In the Americas, there are more than 87 MMS carriers including Cingular Wireless, Rogers Wireless, Telcel, Telefonica Moviles and T-Mobile USA.

The GSM community has spent the past several years working to ensure that wireless users can send and receive MMS messages while traveling. For example, in 2003, the GSM Association created a task force to help facilitate MMS roaming. GSM customers enjoy the convenience of being accessible with their same GSM device and phone number when traveling in more than 220 countries, as well as access to advanced services that they use in their home market. MMS leverages that coverage and existing roaming agreements.

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Can I send MMS messages to a PC?

Yes. When you create an MMS message, you usually have the option of sending it to an e-mail address or phone number. Depending on the carrier's MMS platform and the recipient's e-mail application, the MMS message will be displayed in the body of the e-mail or as an attachment. As a result, even people without wireless phones can enjoy MMS.

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How does 3G affect MMS?

Today's GPRS networks are a good fit for MMS because they provide an always-on, packet-data connection with download data rates of up to 115 kbps and average speeds of 40-50 kbps. Third-generation (3G) technologies such as EDGE and UMTS (WCDMA) improve MMS performance by providing an even faster connection: an average throughput of 100-130 kbps for EDGE and average speeds of 200-300 Kbps for UMTS. For example, a 100-kb MMS video clip takes 26.7 seconds to download on GPRS but only 6.8 seconds on a UMTS network (source: Nokia).

The bottom line is that 3G’s broadband speeds help provide a better user experience with MMS. The increased speeds also accommodate the trend toward multi-megapixel camera phones, which produce high-resolution photos and, in turn, larger MMS messages.

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