AOL probably uses an intermediary company also. These intermediary companies have agreements with all the providers... when a text message is sent it comes with a header which would say which network the customer is on. Then, this middle company can send it on to you. Or vice versa.
I use http://www.eplcommunications.com in the UK.
HTH
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Burns, John" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Mon, 1 Mar 2004 09:48:44 -0500
>But how does AOL know which provider the user has? When you set it up,
>they don't ask what carrier you have. All you enter is your phone
>number.
>
>John Burns
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Thomas Chiverton [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Sent: Monday, March 01, 2004 6:13 AM
>To: CF-Talk
>Subject: Re: Cell phone text messaging...
>
>On Saturday 28 Feb 2004 14:53 pm, Burns, John wrote:
>> Right, but by only giving AOL 3018675309, how does it know that it
>> should be sent to SprintPCS? Or maybe AT&T, T-mobile, Cingular,
>Verizon, etc?
>
>The message is just sent to whoever mobile operator the provider is
>connected to, and they then forward it on just as if you had entered the
>number into a mobile phone.
>
>--
>Tom Chiverton
>Advanced ColdFusion Programmer
>
>Tel: +44(0)1749 834997
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