Continuing on my series How To Blog From Anywhere, add Gmail via SMS to the repertoire. Google Africa has just launched Gmail via SMS, allowing mobile phone users without access to a data network to still send and receive emails. Yet another way to get your message out, no matter what your connectivity situation. Still no word on how to activate it outside of Africa, though.
From Google:
To help solve these issues, we’ve created Gmail SMS. We’re excited to be making this new service available in Ghana, Nigeria and Kenya. You can now send and receive emails as SMS messages using your mobile phone, regardless of whether or not your phone has an internet connection, like Wifi or 3G. Gmail SMS works on any phone, even the most basic ones which only support voice and SMS.
Gmail SMS automatically forwards your emails as SMS text messages to your phone and you can respond by replying directly to the SMS. You can control the emails received by replying with commands such as MORE, PAUSE and RESUME. Additionally, compose a new email as an SMS and send to any email address recipient – who will find your message in the right email conversation thread!
Official Google Africa Blog: Send and receive Gmail on your phone as SMS.