Method system and mobile switching center (MSC) for reporting capability to perform periodic broadcast short message service (SMS)

In an ANSI-41 cellular telecommunications network, a method for periodically broadcasting Short Message Service (SMS) messages comprising the steps of:

• sending a request for periodic broadcast Short Message service (SMS) through a Short Message Delivery Point-to-Point (SMDPP) message from an SMS originator to a Message Center (MC) for requesting a periodic broadcast SMS, said SMDPP message comprising:
• a message body to be broadcast to a plurality of MSs;
• a periodicity parameter comprising a start time, a duration and a repetition rate of said periodic broadcast SMS message;
• and
• a destination identifier comprising at least one of i) a geographical zone identifier designating a zone over which the message is to be broadcast and ii) a subscribers' group identifier designating a group of subscribers' MSs intended to receive said SMS message;
• sending said SMDPP message from said MC to at least one Mobile Switching Center (MSC) covering at least a portion of said zone;
• and
• returning, from said at least one MSC to said MC, an smdpp acknowledgement message comprising an indication of an individual capability of said at least one MSC to handle on its own the periodic broadcast SMS;
• wherein if said MSC is capable of handling said periodic broadcast SMS, said indication is an empty smdpp acknowledgement message, while if said MSC is not capable of handling the periodic SMS broadcast, the indication is comprised in one parameter of said smdpp acknowledgement message.

A cellular telecommunications network comprising:

• a Message Center (MC) sending a request for a periodic broadcast Short Message Service (SMS) message;
• and
• at least one Mobile Switching Center (MSC) linked to said MC, receiving said request from said MC;
• wherein upon receipt of said request, said MSC detects its capability of handling periodic broadcast SMS messages on its own and replies back to the MC with an indication of said capability.

A Mobile Switching Center (MSC) comprising:

• a resources meter for collecting at least one parameter representative of a level of utilized resources of said MSC;
• and
• a periodic broadcast SMS capability detector for receiving said at least one parameter from said resources meter and for comparing said parameter with a pre-defined threshold of utilized resources;
• wherein said detector issues a decision based on a result of the comparison, the decision stating whether or not said MSC is to handle a periodic broadcast SMS request on its own.