Before the era of WhatsApp, Signal and even Internet Messaging was the era of pure and simple text messaging. Saying all you can in 160 characters or less, and each message was either charged monetarily or against your total SMS quota -- that was a unique, beautiful time.?
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The first-ever text message was sent 30 years ago, in 1992 which was received on a Vodafone network by an employee in the UK. The message wished the recipient, ¡°Merry Christmas¡±, and now this message is being auctioned off as an NFT by the networking giant.
The message was sent by engineer Neil Papworth in Newbury, Berkshire to Richard Jarvis. Papworth worked as a test engineer working on the Short Message Service (which the world will soon know as SMS) for Vodafone.?
The message was successfully sent on December 3, 1992, to the Orbitel 901 handset. After the sending of the first message, mobile phone makers started bringing the feature to receive and send text messages, with Nokia being first in the line.?
The NFT auction for the world¡¯s first SMS will be conducted in Paris on December 21, 2021, by Aguttes -- the first independent auction house in France. However, bidders can also place their bids online.
The NFT will be exclusive and Vodafone has assured that it won¡¯t mint another NFT from the world¡¯s first SMS in the future.?
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The buyer will be awarded a certificate guaranteeing the authenticity of the message signed by Vodafone Group CE, Nick Read. Moreover, a detailed replica of the original communication protocol created by Vodafone, along with documents of the sending/receiving of the SMS as well as a replica of original communication protocol as TXT files and as PDF files will be given to the buyer by the company.?
Vodafone estimates to receive over $200,000 for this NFT. Proceeds from this auction will be donated to UNHCR -- the UN Refugee Agency to help 82.4 million people who were forced to leave their homes due to conflict and persecution.
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