If Text Messaging is Cheap, Why Does it Cost So Much?

The cell phone companies in America run one big racket. Shame on them.

There are these things called unlimited text message plans. So why would you ever need to get a huge bill?

The phone companies are simply charging what the market will bear. You don’t want to pay the charge, don’t text. Additionally, where do you think the phone companies are getting to money to build new cell towers and new infrastructure for internet access?

Why does the congress have to interfere with the phone companies charges. If the people don’t like price go with price is less costly. It is a competitive world of capitalism. If people would exercise their freedom to choose other plans then plans would be come more competitive.
Don’t let Gov’t regulate prices when we have so many choices.

This is simple, don’t like the price, don’t use the product. No body from a cell phone carrier has ever FORCED anyone to text. But then again, the tobacco companies never put a cigarette in anyone’s mouth, but it’s they were sued. I guess being a responsible person is no longer required, just get the government to bail you out. if you texting bill is to much, call Mr. Obama.

Joel Kelsey needs to do his homework. The amount of network resources needed to send a text message depends on the message size, access network technology, and network configuration. The article stated that the average text message takes up only 1/600th the network utilization of a standard minute of use for voice. This is highly simplistic and wholly optimistic.
In the case of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) networks, Joel must be assuming that only the Access Channel and Paging Channels are being utilized. The Traffic Channel must be used for sending larger messages, and many carriers configure their networks so that text messages are delivered via the Traffic Channel. The use of Traffic Channels for message sending and delivery increases the amount of network resources required, and hence, the cost of a text message.
I agree, this is a non-story.

No regulation! Let capitalism prevail and limit government intervention. If you don’t like your service switch to a better provider. If you stay in your current plan with outrageous charges that’s on you! Don’t cry to the government because of your lack of intelligence.

Stop spending my tax dollars. The gov. does not need to be concerned about this issue err.. non-issue. The parents of these kids need to pay-up or shut-up. The phone networks can charge what ever they want, you can pay whatever you want….YOU have a choice. Also the media needs to start reporting on these things as they are and quit putting their spin out it. They (the media) are ruining this country just as much as the liberals are. TEXTING IS NOT A NECCESITY IN OUR ECONOMY.

I found a solution to help cut cost on texting at least from the standpoint of Computer to Mobile device texting. The website is [URL removed] The service is free to individual consumers and allows anyone to send unlimited text messages throughout each year from their Internet-enabled computer to any mobile device(s). As more and more consumers use a service like this, Mobile Carriers will see their enormous profits dwindle from their current outrageous per message fees.

I won’t buy until it works more like traditional phones.
I want to buy a phone from the store of my choice, that can be used on any network, that hasn’t had its features manipulated by the cell industry. I also want service without a contract where the person who placed the call or set the text has to pay for it.
Is that too much to ask?
Instead I what I am stuck with, is situations where I like an iPhone but I can’t use it with the Verison network which has better coverage. I have to subscribe to a data plan, even though I prefer to just use it more like an iTouch but with phone capabilities. However, even if it were available on the Verizon network, they would turn off Wi-Fi features forcing you to use their internet services rather than a free hot spot. So I could choose to go with AT&T with its lesser coverage and get the phone of my choice with all the features the manufacturer built into it. However, I might need a better phone and text messaging plan because all my friends are on the Verizon network and will hammer me merciless with what could prove to be unreasonably expensive out of network texts and phone calls.
Should buying a cellphone and service require this deep of an analysis? It seems to be too complicated to be described as honest free market forces at work.

wow, who are some of these people writting in? Someone exposes the Fact that they are grossly being over charged for something that should costs just pennies a month and they are ok with it? Wow, we americans are stupid.
Big business has taken over, it’s too late for all of us sheep!

One word – Greed

THE PRICE THE MORE SHOPPING PEOPLE WOULD DO. SO IF A MAD PERSON WAS TO HOLD A SCHOOL IN A LOCK DOWN I WOULD WANT MY CHILD TO BE ABLE TO TEXT ME FOR HELP, NOT BE AFRAID TO BECAUSE THE BILL WOULD BE TOO HIGH. i WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THERAPY FOR MY KID AND A CRAZY BILL FOR SOMETHING THAT COULD SAVE MY CHILDS LIFE. IF INSTANT MESSAGING IS FREE Y CAN’T TEXTING BE FREE?

I’m sorry, but who ever said that these phone companies are not scamming us is really blind. SMS messages are designed to fit inside the bandwidth alloted to the “control channel”, which is used to establish communication between the mobile phone and the cellular tower. This channel is continuously active, so the messages are piggybacking on the control signal, for free. These companies are taking advantage of a trend. Have any of you compared what it costs you to send an average text message against what you are paying for your (unlimited) data plan? I think you will find out that you are paying over 10 times more for text messages (not sure about MMS) then data. How is this not a scam? Paying a lot for something that costs them nothing! Now I could be wrong, but not from the evidence at hand.

I know this is old, but the whole “don’t let the gov interfere and market sort itself out” doesn’t work. It is market abuse, offer something cheap and once it becomes an integral part of society and then charge more for it is annoying as hell. Texting at this time is a highly used commodity in today’s world, especially with teenagers. Some sort of payment for texts makes sense, but the fast rise in cost seems odd. But the real kicker is being charged for incoming text, text our of your or your kids control that can cost you a pretty penny. Turning all text off is not an option either , because we want to text, just not with everyone, yet we cant block individual numbers or refuse incoming texts. This is where I feel there is an abuse of the market. I would not pay for it, but hate to see my kids being ridiculed because they cant text. These payment schemes van been designed to force people into plans that they otherwise would never need.

Why hasn’t the price come down? with such huge profit margins. In a truly open market one would try to undercut the other and the price would fall. There are 20 class action suits on-going saying it’s about collusion.

Hey, SOME of you guys are so brainwashed by these corporate fools that you don’t see what is really going on in front of your face. These corporations are feeding the government, therefore, we are on the recieving end of the excriment with our mouths wide open. Don’t you see, all the tax revenues from cell phones and internet and cable television is astronomical $$ and not to mention the money that is deposited in politicians bank accounts from the lobbyists. Why would the government want to regulate the entertainment industry to give the American People a break? Hell, they already made it ALMOST impossible for people to watch TV without subscribing to a cable company wshen they took analog signals from local television networks and made them switch to digital CRAP! They’re reasoning, 911 and emergency response needed more bandwidth.. HA, what a laugh! Show me one example of an emergency not being responded to because of Analog Television taking up to much of the airwaves. Cultural awakening = change, not politicians! Oh and by the way, I could care less about YOUR opinions!