[DialOne]

Apparently text messages cost virtually nothing for carriers as they piggy back on the control channel for the phones anyway.

http://gizmodo.com/5119496/nyt-text-...an-you-thought
Text messages are not just tiny; they are also free riders, tucked into what’s called a control channel, space reserved for operation of the wireless network.

That’s why a message is so limited in length: it must not exceed the length of the message used for internal communication between tower and handset to set up a call. The channel uses space whether or not a text message is inserted. I really hope this all drives down the ridiculous prices carriers put on texting packages.

[Dominick Yo]

Not surprised at all. But really, while the text messages are totally free, everything in the cell industry is MASSIVELY overpriced (including regular phone minutes). Even the data plans are probably near 90% profit - but until more people speak out, nothing will happen..

[Iphone]

I have known this for quiet some time. It is quiet amazing.

Cell Phone prices are extremely crazy, that is for sure. Makes Skype phones very tempting if you live in the city where wifi is abundant.


It is just nuts that with all this "competition" that all these cell phone companies basically all share the same plans, minus or plus a couple of dollars.
Cricket though, for like $40 you get unlimited everything. Though their coverage really does suck the big one. A friend had Cricket and he never got service. With all these big Cell phone companies, $40 only gets you like 700 minutes and nothing else.


During 9/11, cell phone calls were jammed for hours. Cell Phone tower quickly exceeded their limits. Though, even with cell voice communication jammed, txt messages could still get through.

[TheBestCheapestOEM]

What a rip-off!
I once had to pay $200 worth of text messages and it turns out that it doesn't cost the company anything. Text messaging must be making a lot of money for cell phone companies.

[SteantyjetMaw]

yeah - great. especially when they charge 25 cents for a national text message, and 35 for an international text message. it never used to be any different.

[Teprophopay]

What sort of rate are they charging?
Down here it's 500 texts for NZ$10 - around 3 quid!

[gMUVgw71]

I get about 600 texts free as part of my package and any above that costs 10p/15c however I've never used more than 300 texts in one month.

Before my current contract I had a PAYG sim with O2 that gave you 500 free texts each time you topped it up with £10 credit and never paid for a text in the 6 years I was with them.

[euylvaygdq]

I have seen TV documentaries about this (along with international call prices), but alas nothing has happened yet with authorities saying the pricing is unfair on the consumer.

[Eltabaco]

Optus recharge gives you a prize everytime you rechrage, it includes lots of great prizes but to get around their "always win" slogan you always end up with extra free texts [rolleyes]

I hate using mobile phones simply because of the charges, it's daylight robbery. I wish the ACCC investigated mobile phone and internet charges.

[violetgorman]

To think of the message as free simply because it piggybacks on the system's internal messaging network and would have to occur anyway is a mistake. It's not quite that simple, unless you only want to send text messages to your cell phone tower. Hey tower, what's up!

The messages are sent to an SMSC, something that certainly isn't free, which stores, queues and forwards messages to intended recipients. Depending on where the message is going, there are interconnectivity issues and whatnot that also likely aren't solved for free.

No doubt Americans have some of the worst carriers and most ridiculous charges in the world, but you shouldn't expect everything to be included at no cost either.

Sprint has a $99 plan that includes unlimited everything and most other carriers seem to be pushing in that direction as well. Seems reasonable to me.

[Andrew1978]

There has been a congressional hearing on the rise in text message prices not so long ago since texts were usually 5 cents and now some providers charge 20 cents per text.
http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/0...s-cell-pr.html

I think it's ridiculous. I use several hundred texts per month but use maybe 100 minutes of call time. I hate texting but everyone does it now instead of talking. And, as Inept pointed out, Sprint offers an unlimited data unlimited texting plan with 450 minutes and free nights (start at 7:00) and free weekends for $70, which is not such a bad deal.