5G Technology World

  • 5G Technology and Engineering
  • FAQs
  • Apps
  • Devices
  • IoT
  • RF
  • Radar
  • Wireless Design
  • Learn
    • 5G Videos
    • Ebooks
    • EE Training Days
    • FAQs
    • Learning Center
    • Tech Toolboxes
    • Webinars/Digital Events
  • Handbooks
    • 2024
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
  • Resources
    • Design Guide Library
    • EE World Digital Issues
    • Engineering Diversity & Inclusion
    • Engineering Training Days
    • LEAP Awards
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Study: Reliability Issues Persist for Short Codes

By Staff Author | June 25, 2008

What’s the industry average for an SMS response from a common short code (CSC)? About 9 seconds, according to a new study from Keynote Competitive Research.

The fastest CSC responded in less than 6 seconds, while the slowest averaged more than 19 seconds.

The study also found that reliability and variability issues persist. Several short codes had more than 10 hours of outage, while one reported more than 50 hours. In addition, response times for some short codes degraded severely during the busiest hours of the day; one CSC showed a 60% peak-period slowdown every day.

In general, CDMA carriers had slower send times than GSM carriers, and for some short codes, response time was more than twice as slow via one carrier compared to another, according to Keynote.

Short codes have increased in popularity, but until now, there hasn’t been much visibility in terms of how well the codes are performing, according to Nisheeth Mohan, product manager of mobile at Keynote. The study ran throughout the month of May. “The goal is to inform the industry,” providing visibility into the end-user performance of short codes, he said.

The study, which compared the round-trip delivery time and average availability of SMS messages sent to 24 popular short codes, found that CBS and Coca-Cola rank first in overall reliability, while Obopay ranks first in overall responsiveness. Measurements were taken from New York and San Francisco over AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile USA and Verizon Wireless networks during the 4-week period.


Filed Under: Carriers

 

Next Article

← Previous Article
Next Article →

Related Articles Read More >

eSIM
eSIM eases changing carriers for phones and IoT
QoE and QoS comparison
Benchmarking in 5G: More important than ever
iPhone 12
I bought a 5G phone, now what?
6G
Key takeaways from 6G Symposium

Featured Contributions

  • Overcome Open RAN test and certification challenges
  • Wireless engineers need AI to build networks
  • Why AI chips need PCIe 7.0 IP interconnects
  • circuit board timing How timing and synchronization improve 5G spectrum efficiency
  • Wi-Fi 7 and 5G for FWA need testing
More Featured Contributions

EE TECH TOOLBOX

“ee
Tech Toolbox: Internet of Things
Explore practical strategies for minimizing attack surfaces, managing memory efficiently, and securing firmware. Download now to ensure your IoT implementations remain secure, efficient, and future-ready.

EE LEARNING CENTER

EE Learning Center
“5g
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for EE professionals.

Engineering Training Days

engineering
“bills
5G Technology World
  • Enews Signup
  • EE World Online
  • DesignFast
  • EDABoard Forums
  • Electro-Tech-Online Forums
  • Microcontroller Tips
  • Analogic Tips
  • Connector Tips
  • Engineer’s Garage
  • EV Engineering
  • Power Electronic Tips
  • Sensor Tips
  • Test and Measurement Tips
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy

Search 5G Technology World