Multimedia Messaging Service Center (MMSC)

What is a Multimedia Messaging Service Center?

An MMSC, or Multimedia Messaging Service Center, helps mobile devices share media over wireless networks. MMSCs receive, store, and forward multimedia messaging services (MMS) texts. 

How does an MMSC work?

An MMSC works just like an SMSC, but for multimedia messages. When a user sends photos, videos, gifs, or hyperlinks, that message must be relayed to an MMSC before it can reach your intended recipient. Once your phone carrier forwards media to your MMSC, your media is sent to the recipients’ MMSC for forwarding.

How MMSCs work with Bandwidth

Carriers like Bandwidth provide messaging services that connect the organization to Multimedia Messaging Service Centers. All messages powered by Bandwidth that are MMS go through at least one MMSC to reach the recipient. 

When the sender and the recipient have different MMSCs, Bandwidth uses the MM4 protocol to exchange messages between two MMSCs. 

Where we talk about MMSC

• What media type is supported for MMS?
• Send SMS/MMS

Terms related to MMSC

• Multimedia Messaging Service MMS
• MM4
• Messaging API
• Programmable MMS Messaging API