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AT&T Shakes Up SMS Prices Ahead Of Verizon iPhone
Rearranging the deck chairs on the good ship cash cow
With the Verizon iPhone ready to drop on February 10, AT&T appears poised to shake up their SMS pricing. According to a leaked document obtained by GearLive, AT&T will be eliminating their $5 for 200 messages and $15 for 1500 messages plans. In place of those two plans will be a new single $10 plan that nets you 1000 messages, with each additional message costing you $.10. The company's $20 for unlimited messaging option will remain in place. Given that SMS plans are pure profit for carriers it's hard to get too excited by this "deal," yet consumers continue to gleefully pay out the nose for SMS/MMS services -- despite the rise of traditional data alternatives like Google Voice.
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RRM79
@intercage.com

RRM79

Anon

nice

more expensive of course

Transparency
@covad.net

Transparency

Anon

Re: nice

International SMS not covered under the plans, international cost is closer to 50c per message! Why is no one dealing with that?

en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA

en102

Member

Glad to have given up SMS/MMS for

Email (much cheaper).
said by Karl :
with each additional message costing you $.10.
I had to take a second look. The $.10 almost looked like a $ 10, instead of $0.10. I was thinking that SMS was getting high I'll pay the data plan and have the benefit of both email and data vs a 160 char limited message.

markinect
@sbcglobal.net

markinect

Anon

Re: Glad to have given up SMS/MMS for

yea i wrote on them two weeks ago asking for 250 for theyre 5dollar plan and they get ride of it ...thats not what i wanted

thedragonmas
Premium Member
join:2007-12-28
Albany, GA

thedragonmas

Premium Member

i better be grandfathered

ive got the $5 for 200 on 2 of my lines. if they end it ill just quit using txt's, im not paying double for it. only reason i use them at all is for banking alerts (winds up to about 90 txt's per line a month)

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: i better be grandfathered

said by thedragonmas:

ive got the $5 for 200 on 2 of my lines. if they end it ill just quit using txt's, im not paying double for it. only reason i use them at all is for banking alerts (winds up to about 90 txt's per line a month)

Yes. Existing users of older plans are grandfathered and will be able to stay on their old plans.

ilikeme
Premium Member
join:2002-08-27
Stafford, TX

ilikeme

Premium Member

Re: i better be grandfathered

We better be grandfathered in. I only use about 150 texts per month on my cell line. I usually use google voice to avoid the charges.
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC

cramer to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
I wouldn't put money on that bet.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

FFH5

Premium Member

Re: i better be grandfathered

said by cramer:

I wouldn't put money on that bet.

Read the story's link. It states clearly the fact that existing users will be grandfathered.
»www.gearlive.com/news/ar ··· ne-q111/
Look at the image of the training doc as well the text in the story.
WernerSchutz
join:2009-08-04
Sugar Land, TX

WernerSchutz

Member

Re: i better be grandfathered

Bah. When a company has the slightest potential to rip off its customers, past experience would bet the money that they will, sooner or later, regardless of what they say now.
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC

cramer to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
Watch your bill. I'll go ahead and say "I told you so."

ptrowski
Got Helix?
Premium Member
join:2005-03-14
Woodstock, CT

ptrowski

Premium Member

Re: i better be grandfathered

Go ahead, people said the would not grandfather in the unlimited iPhone data plan and I still have it.

TamaraB
Question The Current Paradigm
Premium Member
join:2000-11-08
Da Bronx
·Verizon FiOS
Ubiquiti NSM5
Synology RT2600ac
Apple AirPort Extreme (2013)

TamaraB

Premium Member

Re: i better be grandfathered

said by ptrowski:

Go ahead, people said the would not grandfather in the unlimited iPhone data plan and I still have it.

So do I, and use it a LOT! My DSL was out for a full week, and I was online tethered for that entire time.
TamaraB

TamaraB to FFH5

Premium Member

to FFH5
said by FFH5:

Yes. Existing users of older plans are grandfathered and will be able to stay on their old plans.

So now I will be a great grandfather. I am also grandfathered on their unlimited data plan as well

They are making it difficult for me to move! Any move will mean a loss of functionality as well as an increase in cost.

xenophon
join:2007-09-17

xenophon

Member

Sprint's $10 data tax doesn't look so bad now

Sprint includes unlimited data and text for $10 and the overall plan is still less than ATT/VZW. What a nuisance it must be to have to watch a meter.
fjr3020
join:2008-07-22
Miami, FL

fjr3020

Member

Re: Sprint's $10 data tax doesn't look so bad now

said by xenophon:

Sprint includes unlimited data and text for $10 and the overall plan is still less than ATT/VZW. What a nuisance it must be to have to watch a meter.

I Agree

Subaru
1-3-2-4
Premium Member
join:2001-05-31
Greenwich, CT

Subaru to xenophon

Premium Member

to xenophon
said by xenophon:

Sprint includes unlimited data and text for $10 and the overall plan is still less than ATT/VZW. What a nuisance it must be to have to watch a meter.

all my other friends on other networks use kik messenger so they wont go over their messages limit.. I always LOL because since I'm paying for unlimited I want to make use of my unlimited message.

iLive4Fusion
Premium Member
join:2006-07-13

iLive4Fusion to xenophon

Premium Member

to xenophon
said by xenophon:

Sprint includes unlimited data and text for $10 and the overall plan is still less than ATT/VZW. What a nuisance it must be to have to watch a meter.

What a nuisance it must be to worry what extra charge's you have to pay on top of a "Simply Everything" plan.
xenophon
join:2007-09-17

1 edit

xenophon

Member

Re: Sprint's $10 data tax doesn't look so bad now

LIke what? There are no extra data or text charges since there is no limit... there is no meter to watch.

Even with the extra $10 data charge, the total plan is less than ATT/VZW and still unlimited.

ATT charges $10 for limited number of texts and has data caps as well with extra charges when caps are reached. Sprint is $10 for unlimited data and text is already unlimited and overall plan is less.
zipjay
join:2003-03-11
South Williamson, KY

zipjay

Member

um..

said by article :
Yet consumers continue to gleefully pay out the nose for SMS/MMS services -- despite the rise of traditional data alternatives like Google Voice.
Um... i cant use google voice to post to my twitter. I also cant use google voice to send TEXT to my friends. I cant use google voice to receive my account balance on my bank account.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine

Member

Re: um..

said by zipjay:

Um... i cant use google voice to post to my twitter. I also cant use google voice to send TEXT to my friends. I cant use google voice to receive my account balance on my bank account.

I can use any of a number of apps to post to twitter, not that I tweet that much anyway. Google voice also does indeed do SMS, but you can get other apps like TextFree to send text for free.

Mobile banking? There are apps for that, much better than text messaging.

Text messaging is absolutely useless to me. In fact I asked at&t to disable it due to the amount of spam I was getting.

n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

n2jtx

Member

Re: um..

said by fifty nine:

Google voice also does indeed do SMS, but you can get other apps like TextFree to send text for free.

Mobile banking? There are apps for that, much better than text messaging.

Text messaging is absolutely useless to me. In fact I asked at&t to disable it due to the amount of spam I was getting.

I have never had a text plan with T-Mobile and even had them disable it on my account. I have an iTouch 4 and also use TextFree and sometimes TextPlus. The only restriction is you cannot send to short codes with either service (at least the last time I checked).

AVD
Respice, Adspice, Prospice
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Onion, NJ

AVD to zipjay

Premium Member

to zipjay
I can use my data connection to do those things.
jcremin
join:2009-12-22
Siren, WI

jcremin

Member

The market sets the price

quote:
Given that SMS plans are pure profit for carriers it's hard to get too excited by this "deal," yet consumers continue to gleefully pay out the nose for SMS/MMS services
Well, it isn't PURE profit, there is some overhead for transferring the data and there is some cost for the SMS servers, but we can all agree that the cost is very very low per text message.

I don't think anyone would say that text messaging prices are reasonable, but the fact of the matter is that if people keep paying the prices, they have no incentive to lower them.

fifty nine
join:2002-09-25
Sussex, NJ

fifty nine

Member

Re: The market sets the price

SMS is pretty much pure profit. The original spec had the messages transmitted along with other signaling data which was transmitted anyway.
jcremin
join:2009-12-22
Siren, WI

jcremin

Member

Re: The market sets the price

said by fifty nine:

SMS is pretty much pure profit. The original spec had the messages transmitted along with other signaling data which was transmitted anyway.

Regardless of whether there's no cost or overhead between the tower and the customer isn't what I was talking about. There is data that has to be carried around the network and servers that have to process it.....

But my real point was that until people start voting with their wallets and text less or cancel their SMS services, the cell providers really have no incentive to lower the prices.

If you can build a TV for $100, and people will pay $500 to buy it, why would you sell it for $400. You might sell more, but you still make more money selling 500 tv's at $500 than you do selling 600 tv's at $400.

They don't want to make less money.
WernerSchutz
join:2009-08-04
Sugar Land, TX

WernerSchutz to jcremin

Member

to jcremin
said by jcremin:



I don't think anyone would say that text messaging prices are reasonable, but the fact of the matter is that if people keep paying the prices, they have no incentive to lower them.

Yeah, collusion does that. Where is the investigation ?
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

1 recommendation

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: The market sets the price

Do you honestly believe that Daniel Mead calls up Ralph de la Vega and the two of them agree to charge $0.20/msg and sell $20/mth SMS plans? I seriously doubt that. More likely, and what has historically happened, one of the companies sets a price, then the others match that price. That's not collusion, it's a happy oligopoly.

Metatron2008
You're it
Premium Member
join:2008-09-02
united state

Metatron2008

Premium Member

Re: The market sets the price

»www.windowsitpro.com/art ··· ges.aspx

Recently several tech giants were found to be colluding with each other to not hire other employees. So I believe it.
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: The market sets the price

There's a human capital race in the tech industry, so it's not difficult at all to believe that antitrust actions were taken to prevent poaching. There is no serious race in the mobile wireless services market so why do you believe that antitrust activities in this respect are occurring?
WernerSchutz
join:2009-08-04
Sugar Land, TX

WernerSchutz to openbox9

Member

to openbox9
said by openbox9:

Do you honestly believe that Daniel Mead calls up Ralph de la Vega and the two of them agree to charge $0.20/msg and sell $20/mth SMS plans? I seriously doubt that. More likely, and what has historically happened, one of the companies sets a price, then the others match that price. That's not collusion, it's a happy oligopoly.

No, they have a staff of crooks to do that so they can deny any knowledge/involvement.
jcremin
join:2009-12-22
Siren, WI

jcremin to WernerSchutz

Member

to WernerSchutz
said by WernerSchutz:

Yeah, collusion does that. Where is the investigation ?

Because it isn't collusion... All the cell phone providers just charge the same because that's what people will pay.

••••••••••••••••••••••••
QLR
join:2009-06-23
Tallahassee, FL

QLR

Member

Is Google Voice capable of sending/receiving MMS messages?

I receive and send quite a few pictures from different carriers. Google voice solved the SMS problem. Email isn't always feasible when sending pictures to other phones. Until then, I'll keep my $10 for 500 non-Verizon messages.

••••
cramer
Premium Member
join:2007-04-10
Raleigh, NC

cramer

Premium Member

Just great...

It took a week of constant bitching to get my employer to turn on the f'ing $5 plan. It's going to be a bloodbath to get them to fork over $10.
93388818 (banned)
It's cool, I'm takin it back
join:2000-03-14
Dallas, TX

93388818 (banned)

Member

Re: Just great...

if you have the $5 plan, you are grandfathered in

lordfly
join:2000-10-12
Homestead, FL

lordfly

Member

Conundrum - to text or not to text

I am sure they are just going to eliminate it as an available plan. I have the $5 plan on my phone and my wife's. She typically uses more than the 200 a month and I don't. However she doesn't use enough to add an extra $5 to her bill. Now, if they had a better family text plan that would be great. But I just don't text that much. I have already told my kids if they want a phone they have to pay for the phone and plan themselves.

•••

doublea
join:2007-06-04
Rancho Cordova, CA

1 recommendation

doublea

Member

Never paying for texts again

I use text free & google voice if I must communicate via a traditional text, otherwise, Instant message, google voice or Skype are my chosen choice of communication.

I dropped my 200 text per month plan a few months ago, and I have not missed it.

Its so stupid to pay $10 for 1000 texts, which are just a few kb in size each...

airtouch25
join:2007-05-22
united state

airtouch25

Member

Karl it only gets worse for ATT customers....

Now ATT is copying Verizon by ridding themselves of early upgrade discounts (similar to the sudden abolishment of VZ's NE2) upping family line upgrade fees, upping the price on international LD and roaming fees and GET THIS.. Upping the price of the MicroCell...

Collusion anyone?
openbox9
Premium Member
join:2004-01-26
71144

openbox9

Premium Member

Re: Karl it only gets worse for ATT customers....

It's not collusion. It's a happy oligopoly. Big difference in the means, same result in the end.
WhatNow
Premium Member
join:2009-05-06
Charlotte, NC

WhatNow

Premium Member

As long as it sells

You can complain all you want but until people vote with their wallet as stated above they will keep selling the service.
Just as the cable company is starting to feel the cord cutting. The only plan I have seen as unfair is forcing you to have a data plan on cell phones even if you don't want it. If it is an option then do without if you don't like the terms. If it was your business what would you do if customers keep paying you?

JimThePCGuy
Formerly known as schja01.
MVM
join:2000-04-27
Morton Grove, IL

JimThePCGuy

MVM

Google Voice is not an SMS panacea

There are MANY web sites for which Google Voice SMS does not work. Believe me I've tried.

••••
Carnivore
join:2003-01-06

Carnivore

Member

SMS Spam

I called AT&T to complain they were charging me for SMS spam. The agent told me to text back STOP (as if that would stop the spammers). The sad irony is that it would have cost me 20 cents more for every futile attempt to SMS them back. Eventually the rep conceded and gave me a credit, but what a hassle for small charges that shouldn't be there in the first place. I wonder how many people just let them slide.
pabster
join:2001-12-09
Waterloo, IA

pabster

Member

$20 for unlimited texts is still $20 too much

Amazing that people continue to pay these outlandish fees for text messaging - which literally costs the carriers pennies to provide. It's a cash cow of enormous proportions.

Google Voice does the trick for me. It's not perfect but $240+ a year for TEXT MESSAGING? They're nuts.

••••••••

Flibbitigibb
@lmco.com

Flibbitigibb

Anon

Screw you, ATT. I'm outta here.

I'd been on the fence about eBaying-our iPhones and switching to Verizon. This gets me off the fence. I'm outta the Death Star like Han Solo.

And I even use TextFree...

cableties
Premium Member
join:2005-01-27

cableties

Premium Member

Re: Screw you, ATT. I'm outta here.

Hey, if you are leaving ATT for VZW and have an iphone 4 to sell, lemme know. I want one to unlock and put a votafon sim card in for trip.
...

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

JohnInSJ

Premium Member

family txting for $30 works well

unlimited... three lines. $10 each net cost.

Averaging 10,000 txts a month. Of course, one of those lines belongs to a teen, so that's about 8,500 of the 10k.

The $5 for 200 one seems to be the only loss here, and it was the most expensive option. Those folks might be better off getting rid of txt messaging.

Plans are a mess for all the carriers - pick one and whine.