SMS text message

[Gaijin 06]

Hello, can anyone advise which mobile networks in Japan support SMS text messaging to other countries?

Do any of them have the ability to send/receive SMS to the GSM networks in Hong Kong and the UK? (for example)

I brought a AU phone and they claim this is not supported - I can use e-mail or c-mail but c-mail only works to other AU subscribers.

[pipokun]

Only Vodafone Japan offers you the SMS service you want when you buy their 3G phones. Now it is 3yen/message, it is, however, 100yen!!!/message after the special campaign.
I guess your friends in HK or UK can use a service like e-mailing from SMS text messages to your AU e-mail account.

[ArmandV]

Unless someone in Japan has this SMS service, they can't receive a text message from a cel phone from the U.S., besides from the other countries mentioned?

[Gaijin 06]

Hi, thanks for the response Pipokun. Shame 100 yen/message is a joke, that's 5-10 times more expensive than in other countries.

I guess it is a captive market for Vodafone Japan.

ArmandV - my AU phone can't send or receive SMS messages from any country, period.

[ArmandV]

ArmandV - my AU phone can't send or receive SMS messages from any country, period.

Interesting. Ya learn something new every day.

[Gaijin 06]

Yeah, I learnt it after I paid for my phone and tried to use SMS :(

[pipokun]

just after my quick search on the net, there are some e-mail to sms hosting services available here, no matter which carriers, docomo, au, or vodafone, you use.
But the services I found were between some asian counties, north america and japan.

[Gaijin 06]

It's a nice idea... shame many phones in the UK and HK (where my friends are) don't have the ability to email anyway.

Actually I can send & recieve emails on my phone but until the rest of the world catches up it lacks the instantiety of SMS.

[pipokun]

KDDI offers you a prepaid card service, super world card plus text. The service is not to people in Europe like I said above. But for some, it might be useful.

http://www.kddi.com/english/telephone/card/super_world/index.html
http://www.kddi.com/english/telephone/card/super_world/carrier_list.html

[Riyko]

The frequency for japanese phones is 4 while other countries it goes up to only 3. The reason it could be happening is because your not on the same frequency as your friends are, but I could also be wrong too. I have my American phone with a frequency of 3 (tri-band) and I can use it anywhere, but japan. While my Japanese phone has a frequency of 4 and I can usually only use it over in japan. As I stated earlier I could be wrong about the reason why you can't text message people.

[Gaijin 06]

Actually Japan uses a totally different transmission system to the GSM networks in other countries... use CDMA (code division multiple access).

The three major GSM frequencies are 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900Mhz (used mainly in the US I think).

[pipokun]

Do other UK carriers have got the similar service like O2?
http://www.o2.co.uk/productsservices/mobileservices/mmail/0,,126,00.html