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I assume this works via emailing the carriers (e.g. number@vtext.com),. If so, why not just release the source (or is that somewhere else?) over running your own service?
It looks like that's how they're doing it since they have the caveat of "may receive messages from txt@textbelt.com" As for the open source comment -- they're probably running a carrier lookup on the numbers via another API on the back-end, so that dependency on another service doesn't make it as straightforward as just open sourcing it.
I would be interested in knowing what API they are using for the carrier look-ups.
Are you doing LRN lookups to handle ported numbers?
Nexmo offers 2 Euros for trial accounts (which you can sign up for unlimitedly). Let's say I'll use this get notified if my blog is under heavy traffic load every 5 minutes, how can I rely on it that it won't get shut down tomorrow? Who are behind this and why are they offering this service? Just a github-generated project page does not seem reliable to me.
If you're just making this for yourself, you might be better off emailing your provider's email-to-SMS gateway rather than using a service like this.
I don't believe such a gateway exists in GSM providers of my country :-/
Just email it to yourself? Long before apple invented email you have been able to check mail on pretty much any phone made in the last 7 years? (or more?)
What API is available to lookup what carrier a phone is registered with?
Neat, but the user experience is somewhat lacking on my carrier.

    curl http://textbelt.com/text -d number=<my phone number> -d "message=Yo momma!"
SMS from my carrier (305 000 01):

    You have mail from txt@textbelt.com. Please reply with 'Read' to read your message.
After replying "read":

    txt@textbelt.com() Yo momma!
Message came through, but with a fair bit of cruft.
Also cost you a couple of cents I assume.
Probably $5 or 10 a month.

Otherwise, A LOT of cents.

(someone who does not pay that silliness and have sms blocked)

Cool (free, easy). Where are you going with this?

I wrote an app that does almost the same thing through the UI (not API) http://textfrom.me/ but it's not free. I made that project because I needed to txt a group of folks at a specific time in bulk.

How about google voice ?
I use google voice for everything, I find it important to be able to receive text messages on my Google Voice account. (I don't have a text messaging plan)
Another vote for google voice here. For the life of me I can't find an API that's capable of texting my GV number.
Scratch that; Twilio totally works with Google Voice.

Thanks Kevin for following up with me! That was awesome.

+1 for GV. What's cool is that there are libraries in many languages to allow you to use it in creative ways:

* java: http://code.google.com/p/google-voice-java/

* C++: https://github.com/mastermind202/GoogleVoice

* C#: http://code.google.com/p/sharp-voice/

* obj-C: https://bitbucket.org/joeygibson/gvoice/wiki/Home

* Python: http://code.google.com/p/pygooglevoice/

* PHP: http://code.google.com/p/phpgooglevoice/

* javascript (node.js): https://github.com/amper5and/node-google-voice

I dont know how many of those are still maintained. Disclaimer: I am the author of node-google-voice, which is still maintained.

So this doesn't work for any of the UK carriers you list as the api cant handle UK MSISDN's. I am assuming your not doing submit SM to an SMSC and are abusing the email to text apis?
> We support the following U.S. providers:

No mention of UK support, it's American only.

You have Orange and O2 on the list of carriers. These are not US carrier.
You have Orange and O2 on the list of carriers. These are not US carrier.
Somebody has never heard of tongues. 1 Corinthians 14

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+14...

God says... how_about_a_comic lying I_love_you car You_know I_am_not_amused don't_have_a_cow I_didn't_do_it lust in_a_galaxy_far_far_away I_planned_that how_come do_it off_the_record I_give_up I_don't_care imports cowardice sports illogical duck_the_shoe Is_that_your_final_answer no_way_dude do_you_have_a_problem I_had_a_crazy_dream hope unemployment laziness ice_cream job other game_over pet the lying

What API is available to lookup what carrier a phone is registered with?