benc
Premium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL
 ·Charter Pipeline
 ·Future Nine Corpor..
·Callcentric
 ·AT&T Midwest
| Text Messages Cost $1,342,177.28 per GB
1GB = 1,073,741,824 bytes
1,073,741,824 bytes / 160 bytes per SMS = 6,710,886.4 SMS
6,710,886.4 SMS * $.20 per SMS = $1,342,177.28 per GB
Absolutely disgusting!
OK, so no one will ever send over 6 million SMS messages in a single month. Yet an unlimited SMS option costs $20 / mo. So that's $20 for less than 1GB of data transfer.
They could charge $.01 per SMS, or $1/mo. for unlimited SMS and still have a huge markup.
With the advent of mobile Internet, and the ability to use mobile E-mail, there is no more reason to use SMS messages. For contacts without mobile E-mail, you can use an E-mail to SMS gateway. |
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PhoenixDown
-- Wants FIOS
Premium
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY
clubs:   | My old ATT plan was great
5 cents for outgoing text messages
Free incomming
No additional monthly charge! |
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JasonOD
@comcast.net
| reply to benc
You don't have to text BTW. This is a value add and it would be bad business if they didn't try to obtain maximum revenue. It also provides some cash-flow stability. If there is a competitive or market driven reason for them to not charge so much, they won't. And it's not like other industries don't do this. Ink is a major cash cow for the printer industry. Overages may be the next cash cow for the Telco's and Cableco's as well. |
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Notevenclose
@bellsouth.net
| Virtually nothing?
Um yeah..
I guess the tower leases are free,
the spectrum is free,
handset subsidies are free,
antennas are free,
cables running down the tower are free,
equipment at the base of the tower is free,
the T1s servicing the sites are free,
fuel for the backup generator is free,
electricity is free,
the cable to get your call back to the office is free,
the computers in the office to route your call are free,
the T1's to route your call back out are free,
all of the same equipment at the other site is free,
cell site techs work for free,
digital techs (works on the T1s) work for free,
office techs work for free,
vehicles for the field techs are free,
fuel for those vehicles is free,
tools are free,
training for the techs is free,
customer service reps work for free,
your bills are free to print,
postage for your bills is free,
payment processing centers are free.
There is a cost to build and operate this network and it is supported by charging for text messages.
B |
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chevyrul0991
@ssa.gov
| ...
why would I charge you 20$ when I can get 200$ from you? Sure I may lose a few of you, but who cares...
good job cell companies. People will pay it, charge it. I dont mind paying 20$/month, I use the hell out of it.
Do I wish it was cheaper? Yah. Is it worth 20$ to me? Yah. Is it worth it to you? Well are you paying it?  |
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gopnick
join:2005-01-07
Benton, AR
·Charter Pipeline
·AT&T DSL Service
| ugh, not this again
People who complain about high SMS fees are normally the folks who pay for it. Stop paying for it, and they'll have to charge less to attract customers.
The other side of that are folks who don't use it, and, for some odd reason, don't want other folks to use it either. They're called fascists. 
This has been a public service announcement from gopnick. |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | Shrug
If you find the margins on texting to be objectionable, then block it.
--
Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! |
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thevorpal
join:2007-11-16
Alexandria, VA
| said by pnh102  :If you find the margins on texting to be objectionable, then block it. Except for the few of us that view it as ridiculous.
I average about 3 incoming text messages per month. I have never sent a single outgoing text message.
Of those three, 1-2 are typically sent by some fucking automated system that the guy who had this number before me signed up for.
I need to receive those single digit count messages, but getting charged for the ones that were sent to me in error is driving me nuts. I pay more for erroneous text messages than I do for the messages I receive.
So do I block it? No, that 1-2 I receive are typically very important.
Do I pay $5/month? No, I don't need that plan.
So I get stuck with the bill from a company that is trying to force me to pay for more than I need on a service that costs them nothing. |
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jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA | Fantastic
It's such a lucrative service that surely it will create a ton of competition all clamoring to provide text messaging at a more affordable cost to the consumer. Oh yeah...  |
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unmpldngmjr
@suddenlink.net | reply to pnh102
Re: Shrug
Do you know what an "if, then" fallacy is? Well your post is one, look it up and write a 5 page report on why you should never use logical fallacies. |
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canesfan2001
join:2003-02-04
Hialeah, FL | reply to JasonOD
Re: Text Messages Cost $1,342,177.28 per GB
You don't have to text, but for those of us who know we're getting ripped off, educating others can help lower our costs.
--
OASAASLLS |
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jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA | reply to unmpldngmjr
Re: Shrug
Pointing out logical fallacies in a comment always ruins the discussion. Er...wait...I meant... |
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hayabusa3303
Over 200 mph
Premium
join:2005-06-29
clubs: | lol
And cell phone company's claim they are broke? |
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JoeG4
join:2001-12-16
945941 | reply to jmn1207
Re: Shrug
I think everyone should get together and boycott phone companies. |
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jmn1207
Premium
join:2000-07-19
Reston, VA
 ·Verizon FIOS
| said by JoeG4 :I think everyone should get together and boycott phone companies. Good idea, I'll be sure to call all of my friends and let them know.  |
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DataDoc
My avatar looks like me, if I was 2D.
Premium
join:2000-05-14
Greenville, NC
·Suddenlink
| reply to gopnick
Re: ugh, not this again
said by gopnick :People who complain about high SMS fees are normally the folks who pay for it. Stop paying for it, and they'll have to charge less to attract customers. The other side of that are folks who don't use it, and, for some odd reason, don't want other folks to use it either. They're called fascists. This has been a public service announcement from gopnick. People that don't use it, but don't want others to use it are playing "dog in the manger." |
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djrobx
join:2000-05-31
Valencia, CA
·PHONE POWER
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T CallVantage
·Time Warner VOIP
·RoadRunner Cable
| reply to gopnick
quote:
People who complain about high SMS fees are normally the folks who pay for it. Stop paying for it, and they'll have to charge less to attract customers.
The diabolical part of it is the social implications of not subscribing. No unlimited texts = antisocial cheapskate!
--
AT&T U-Hearse
Your funeral. Delivered.
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ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium
join:2005-03-14
Putnam, CT
clubs: | Our company uses AIM to connect via offices etc and when you are offline they are sent to your phone via text messages. |
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myokitis
join:2004-06-19
Alexandria, VA
1 edit | reply to benc
Re: Text Messages Cost $1,342,177.28 per GB
said by benc :Absolutely disgusting! Wait a minute . . . where is it written that the price for a service must be proportional to it's cost?
In business-terminology it's called "value based pricing". It's where a business wants to be . . . would you rather be in the cellular business right now, or a commodity business, like the airlines where margins are so low and costs so high, they're forced to be closer to cost-based pricing? |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
·Comcast
| reply to unmpldngmjr
Re: Shrug
said by unmpldngmjr :
Do you know what an "if, then" fallacy is? Well your post is one, look it up and write a 5 page report on why you should never use logical fallacies.
It is only a logical fallacy when the statement itself is indeed false. There are many ways one can protest being "ripped off" by paying for texts. Choosing not to pay for them is one of those ways.
--
Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! |
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