A METHOD OF ROUTING A SHORT MESSAGE AND AN APPARATUS FOR ROUTING A SHORT MESSAGE

In a method of routing a short message with high or low priority from a service centre to a mobile station in a public land mobile network providing both packet data service and circuit switched service, a choice is made, in advance, as to whether the short message should be received by the mobile station either via a specific one of the services or via any of the services. Based upon said choice in step, the priority of the short message sent from the service centre, and an indication of whether the mobile station is reachable via one, both or none of the services, a route via one of the services, a route via both services or no route at all is selected. If a route via one of the services is selected, the short message is routed in accordance with the selected route. If a route via both services is selected, the route via the service having a higher preference than the other service is selected, and the short message is routed in accordance with the route via said service having the higher preference. If the routing of the short message to the mobile station is unsuccessful via the route via said service having the higher preference, the short message is routed in accordance with the route via said other service having lower preference.