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Hold up, does that mean you are allowed to transmit on SMS/GSM/?? frequencies with a "end user/private operator" type license? Or do you have to fiddle with your phone to get it to listen to an alternative band? (As is probably obvious I have no experience with radio)

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Not exactly, you transmit on a “normal” VHF frequency (which you must be a licensed amateur to broadcast on) and the data gets picked up by a “digipeter” (radio to internet repeater) which then gets picked up and relayed to SMS by a gateway (a server looking for messages to send). This infrastructure exists and only requires a license, radio, and APRS interface (probably your iPhone/ Android device).

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