Rogers Wireless adds two-way SMS to its portfolio

Along with AT&T's launch of two-way SMS in the United States, Rogers AT&T Wireless has also introduced the service. Because of the simultaneous offering, Canadian customers who sign up for Rogers AT&T Wireless service will be able to send and receive text messages in both Canada and the United States.

Two-way messaging is made easier with the introduction of intelligent keypad technology—which Rogers calls Predictive Text—found on the new generation of wireless phones. These models use T9's software to simplify message entry by "predicting" the words a user is entering into their wireless phone, therefore reducing the number of keystrokes needed to draft a message.

Predictive Text reduces the number of keystrokes needed to enter a message by enabling the user to press the numbers that carry the characters they want only once. The intelligent software then determines what word the user is attempting to type. For example, the word "can" is entered by simply pressing the keys 2, 2 and 6. The software then determines that the likely word entered is "can" and displays it accordingly.

"Two-way Text Messaging has seen tremendous growth in various countries throughout the world," said Nadir Mohamed, president and COO, Rogers AT&T Wireless. "According to the GSM Association, over nine billion text messages are sent out around the world every month. The association predicts this number will jump to 15 billion by the end of 2000."

Two-way Text Messaging plans:

• Rogers AT&T Digital PCS Text Messaging for $5/month
  
• Rogers AT&T Text & E-mail Messaging for $6/month
  
• Rogers AT&T Messaging Pack for $7/month
  
• Rogers AT&T All-in-One Pack for $15/month.

Received text messages will be included in the messaging package, and until March 31, 2001, the carrier is not charging for sending messages either. Although Rogers is still finalizing the details of its message billing, it has decided on a per-message charge after March 31, 2001, as opposed to a flat rate fee. In addition, both Digital PCS messaging services include Rogers AT&T Mobile Info which provides Canadians access to Internet-based content—financial news, stock quotes, weather, traffic—sent to the phone.

The following Nokia phones are currently available with two-way messaging: Nokia 5160i, 6160i, and 6161i. The Nokia 5165 and 8260 also have the T9 predictive text software.

Edited by Ellen Jensen
Managing Editor, Wireless Networks Online