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| Image Source: http://www.avon-group.com/images/bulk_sms.jpg?909 |
Someone asked recently how they could send a text message (SMS) to a group (or class of students) all at once?
For a bit, I tried finding a free service but gave up the search. Just as I was about to throw in the towel, I ran across a MakeUseOf.com article. It suggests setting up a distribution list, or group of contacts, in your email consisting of people’s mobile phone numbers. Of course, you’ll have to know who their phone carrier is, but that’s not hard to find out…just ask them. Once you have that information (phone number and carrier), it is pretty easy to setup a group in Gmail, for example, and then send emails to the group.
Most of mobile carriers offer free Email To SMS gateways which can be used to forward simple text emails to a mobile phones. And the good news, majority of those gateways are free and available to the general public.
You just need to know the number and the carrier of the recipient to start emailing them to mobile phone. Below we put together a table listing free email to SMS gateways for different carriers. You can use as quick reference both for US and international mobile numbers.
For fun, I set it up for my family and it worked flawlessly. Neat idea and thanks to MakeUseOf.com for sharing the following table for United States and International carriers:
Free Email To SMS Gateways (Major US Carriers)
| Carrier | Email to SMS Gateway |
| Alltel | [10-digit phone number]@message.alltel.com Example: 1234567890@message.alltel.com |
| AT&T (formerly Cingular) | [10-digit phone number]@txt.att.net [10-digit phone number]@mms.att.net (MMS) [10-digit phone number]@cingularme.com Example: 1234567890@txt.att.net |
| Boost Mobile | [10-digit phone number]@myboostmobile.com Example: 1234567890@myboostmobile.com |
| Nextel (now Sprint Nextel) | [10-digit telephone number]@messaging.nextel.com Example: 1234567890@messaging.nextel.com |
| Sprint PCS (now Sprint Nextel) | [10-digit phone number]@messaging.sprintpcs.com [10-digit phone number]@pm.sprint.com (MMS) Example: 1234567890@messaging.sprintpcs.com |
| T-Mobile | [10-digit phone number]@tmomail.net Example: 1234567890@tmomail.net |
| US Cellular | [10-digit phone number]email.uscc.net (SMS) [10-digit phone number]@mms.uscc.net (MMS) Example: 1234567890@email.uscc.net |
| Verizon | [10-digit phone number]@vtext.com [10-digit phone number]@vzwpix.com (MMS) Example: 1234567890@vtext.com |
| Virgin Mobile USA | [10-digit phone number]@vmobl.com Example: 1234567890@vmobl.com |
Free Email To SMS Gateways (International + Smaller US)
These are all I could find from Wikipedia and other sources. If you’re aware of any other ones please share them in comments and I’ll add them to the list.
| Carrier | Email to SMS Gateway |
| 7-11 Speakout (USA GSM) | number@cingularme.com |
| Airtel (Karnataka, India) | number@airtelkk.com |
| Airtel Wireless (Montana, USA) | number@sms.airtelmontana.com |
| Alaska Communications Systems | number@msg.acsalaska.com |
| Aql | number@text.aql.com |
| AT&T Enterprise Paging | number@page.att.net |
| BigRedGiant Mobile Solutions | number@tachyonsms.co.uk |
| Bell Mobility & Solo Mobile (Canada) | number@txt.bell.ca |
| BPL Mobile (Mumbai, India) | number@bplmobile.com |
| Cellular One (Dobson) | number@mobile.celloneusa.com |
| Cingular (Postpaid) | number@cingularme.com |
| Centennial Wireless | number@cwemail.com |
| Cingular (GoPhone prepaid) | number@cingularme.com (SMS) |
| Claro (Brasil) | number@clarotorpedo.com.br |
| Claro (Nicaragua) | number@ideasclaro-ca.com |
| Comcel | number@comcel.com.co |
| Cricket | number@sms.mycricket.com (SMS) |
| CTI | number@sms.ctimovil.com.ar |
| Emtel (Mauritius) | number@emtelworld.net |
| Fido (Canada) | number@fido.ca |
| General Communications Inc. | number@msg.gci.net |
| Globalstar (satellite) | number@msg.globalstarusa.com |
| Helio | number@messaging.sprintpcs.com |
| Illinois Valley Cellular | number@ivctext.com |
| Iridium (satellite) | number@msg.iridium.com |
| Iusacell | number@rek2.com.mx |
| i wireless | number.iws@iwspcs.net |
| Koodo Mobile (Canada) | number@msg.koodomobile.com |
| LMT (Latvia) | number@sms.lmt.lv |
| Meteor (Ireland) | number@sms.mymeteor.ie |
| Mero Mobile (Nepal) | 977number@sms.spicenepal.com |
| MetroPCS | number@mymetropcs.com |
| Movicom (Argentina) | number@sms.movistar.net.ar |
| Mobitel (Sri Lanka) | number@sms.mobitel.lk |
| Movistar (Colombia) | number@movistar.com.co |
| MTN (South Africa) | number@sms.co.za |
| MTS (Canada) | number@text.mtsmobility.com |
| Nextel (United States) | number@messaging.nextel.com |
| Nextel (Argentina) | TwoWay.11number@nextel.net.ar |
| Orange Polska (Poland) | 9digit@orange.pl |
| Personal (Argentina) | number@alertas.personal.com.ar |
| Plus GSM (Poland) | +48number@text.plusgsm.pl |
| President’s Choice (Canada) | number@txt.bell.ca |
| Qwest | number@qwestmp.com |
| Rogers (Canada) | number@pcs.rogers.com |
| SL Interactive (Australia) | number@slinteractive.com.au |
| Sasktel (Canada) | number@sms.sasktel.com |
| Setar Mobile email (Aruba) | 297+number@mas.aw |
| Suncom | number@tms.suncom.com |
| T-Mobile (Austria) | number@sms.t-mobile.at |
| T-Mobile (UK) | number@t-mobile.uk.net |
| Telus Mobility (Canada) | number@msg.telus.com |
| Thumb Cellular | number@sms.thumbcellular.com |
| Tigo (Formerly Ola) | number@sms.tigo.com.co |
| Tracfone (prepaid) | number@mmst5.tracfone.com |
| Unicel | number@utext.com |
| Virgin Mobile (Canada) | number@vmobile.ca |
| Vodacom (South Africa) | number@voda.co.za |
| Vodafone (Italy) | number@sms.vodafone.it |
| YCC | number@sms.ycc.ru |
| MobiPCS (Hawaii only) | number@mobipcs.net |
And, of course, if you must, you can always send out txt messages using ohdontforget.com
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Everything posted on Miguel Guhlin’s blogs/wikis are his personal opinion and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer(s) or its clients. Read Full Disclosure
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Just found that my Cellular One SMS service uses @sms.cellonenation.net – not on your list.Now to look at your subsequent Moodle question & try some stuff.
Just found that my Cellular One SMS service uses @sms.cellonenation.net – not on your list.Now to look at your subsequent Moodle question & try some stuff.