A system for accessing broadcast SMS messages over a wireless
communication system. A base station transmits SMS messages periodically
and aperiodically over a broadcast channel. The base station allocates
periodic slots in the broadcast channel for each of the subscriber
services providing the SMS messages and transmits slot parameters to
mobile units. Using the slot parameter information, the mobile units
periodically wake up to scan the broadcast channel. The period for each
category of broadcast SMS messages may be different and the period may
apply to a single broadcast channel. Messages arriving aperiodically can
be queued and transmitted in pre-scheduled broadcast channel frames.
Messages with inter-arrival interval greater than the specified
transmission period are simply repeated.