How Do Phone Calls and SMS Work?

Phone calls and SMS are the communication methods we use most in daily life. But how does this technology work? How do your voice and messages get from one place to another?

When you make a phone call, your voice is first converted into digital signals. These signals are sent by radio waves to the nearest base station (tower). The base station forwards the signals to the telephone company's switching center. From there, they reach the phone of the person you are calling.

SMS (Short Message Service) is the method for sending short messages. When you send a message, the text goes to the base station and is forwarded from there to the recipient's phone. SMS use less data than phone calls and work with a simpler system.

Modern phones use 4G and 5G technologies. These technologies transmit voice and data faster and in better quality. VoIP (Voice over IP) enables voice transmission over the internet. Apps like WhatsApp use this technology.