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Usually the cost for sending an international SMS message from a mobile phone is higher than that for sending a local inter-operator SMS message. Hence, the cost for sending an intra-operator SMS message <= the cost for sending a local inter-operator SMS message <= the cost for sending an international SMS message.
The interoperability of SMS messaging between two wireless networks locally and even internationally is undoubtedly a main factor that contributes to the success of SMS worldwide.
from developershome .com