Senator Questions Rise In US Texting Prices

vimm writes "Senator Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) has started an inquiry on the rising prices of text messaging (up 100% since 2005) that has occurred almost in sync with the consolidation of 6 major carriers down to 4. In a letter sent to Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint Nextel, and T-Mobile, Kohl said the increase 'does not appear to be justified by rising costs in delivering text messages.'"

Comments

Re:Wag the dog

[PC and Sony Fanboy]

You'd either be passed out from sheer exhaustion, or working furiously away lest your employer get the idea he could get slightly more production at less cost from some desperate member of the surplus population.

or you'd be insanely rich because you're making money off the backs of other people.

Re:Cost != price

[Firehed]

If you need to get a message to their phone immediately, you could... you know... call them. You've prepaid the voice minutes, might as well use them. I realize that pushing out a quick no-response-necessary message is sometimes easier over text than phone, but you don't know they got it (whereas if you speak with them, obviously they've received the message), no need to type out anything on those stupid keypads, no additional charge, etc.

Re:Technically it was in an amendment.

[davester666]

If it wasn't in the constitution, the federal government wasn't supposed to be doing it.

That whole "wasn't supposed to be doing it" part doesn't really seem to have been taken to heart by the current administration...

If you think the cell companies are ripping us off

[raehl]

... the post office is charging $0.42 per text message, and it takes days to get there!