Telecom
Carrier / Mobile Operator
A telecommunications company that provides mobile phone service and operates the cellular network (e.g., AT&T, T-Mobile, Vodafone, MegaFon).
A carrier (or mobile operator/MNO) is the company that provides cellular service. They own and operate the cell towers and manage the radio spectrum for voice calls and SMS.
Carrier Impact on SMS Gateways
- SMS rates — some carriers charge per-message, others have unlimited plans
- Filtering — carriers may block messages that look like spam
- 10DLC — US carriers require A2P registration
- International — sending abroad depends on carrier's roaming agreements
With MySMSGate, you use your existing carrier plan. If your SIM has unlimited SMS, your per-message cost is effectively $0 (plus $0.02/SMS MySMSGate fee).