How can cell companies charge for texts...

[LOLasaurus]

when you have an unlimited data plan?

I have an iphone so I have to have the unlimited data plan, but why are they able to charge you seperately for texts? I mean a text is just a small amount of data. Why do they get to discriminate between data?

Im just not understanding why I can play around on the internet all day recieving large amounts of data and theyre cool with that. But they go ape-sh*t and slap with with charges if I send too many texts

According to my iphone over the past 3 days I have sent 81.5MB of data

Looking at some of my texts, they are fairly short usually only a few words.

So lets do some math

"Where you at?" = 13 bytes
"What are yall doing tonite?" 27 bytes
"You should get yourself checked ASAP" = 36 bytes
"Whats up" = 8 bytes

Average text = 21 bytes

So for me to send 81.5MB worth of texts I would have to send 3,880,952 texts!!!!

So why does ATT make such a big stink when I go over 1500 texts?

Even a spokes person from Verizon said

Text messaging uses far fewer of our network resources."

Cell-phone networks are set up in such a way that text messages can piggyback on the streams of voice data traffic bouncing around the system. The digital messages, which amount to mere dozens or hundreds of bytes, can be slipped into the gaps in that stream.

"They're able to sneak through there, even when you and I are having a conversation," Smith explained

 

[Ghostrider02gt]

because its another angle for them to sell customers on, the avg joe doesnt understand this, so they can still do it, for a while....

 

[99MustangGTman]

Because they are a business, and they want to make as much money as possible from you.

 

[Got Torque]

We get charged for receiving texts here now, it is all a cash grab.

 

[FordSVTFan]

They can do it because you agreed to it in the contract you signed.

 

[canibus]

texting is more popular than ever, why not charge us. it's a cash cow. i have unlimited text, so i don't really care

 

[ViciousJay]

cellphone charges are like OPEC on gas its a joke and we need to take them back down to reality, i remeber when companys offered $20 plans, now you cant get a plan for under $40

i really dont care seeing how my company pays for it but still like people said this is killing the average joe

 

[STG]

Just pick up the damn phone and call. Texting was invented to allow high school girls to pass electronic notes in class.

Here we are in the 21st century and you clowns are TYPING messages to one another. It's just like using an IBM Selectric typewriter in 1970, except the keys are really tiny and now you can crash your car or walk off a cliff while typing.

 

[FordSVTFan]

Just pick up the damn phone and call. Texting was invented to allow high school girls to pass electronic notes in class.

Here we are in the 21st century and you clowns are TYPING messages to one another. It's just like using an IBM Selectric typewriter in 1970, except the keys are really tiny and now you can crash your car while typing.

ROFL.

I am just envisioning a person driving at 60 mph with a huge IBM selectric on their dashboard pounding away at the keys and "LOLing"

 

[STG]

cellphone charges are like OPEC on gas its a joke and we need to take them back down to reality, i remeber when companys offered $20 plans, now you cant get a plan for under $40

i really dont care seeing how my company pays for it but still like people said this is killing the average joe

Ever look up the meaning of non-sequitur?

..we need to take them back down to reality.... I really don't care seeing how my company pays.....

 

[STG]

ROFL.

I am just envisioning a person driving at 60 mph with a huge IBM selectric on their dashboard pounding away at the keys and "LOLing"

Exactly! I've NEVER seen IBM Selectric listed as a contributory cause in any police accident report. Why? Because is easier to touch type on a full size keyboard and keep your eyes on the road. Come to think of it, I've never seen anyone walk off a cliff while using an IBM either!

 

[Grizzly Adams]

Because people are willing to pay for it and it's a way for them to make more money. Their profit margin on text messaging is ridiculous. They literally make billions off of texting rates alone and the amount of data used is tiny compared to any other data usage, you pay a shit ton more per byte to text message than to use any other data services. Why let you pay less when people are more than willing to pay more?

 

[earl lee]

You get charged for txt because your with crappy at&t and own the jesus phone, enjoy paying them premiums.

 

[Sinister04L]

Just pick up the damn phone and call. Texting was invented to allow high school girls to pass electronic notes in class.

Here we are in the 21st century and you clowns are TYPING messages to one another. It's just like using an IBM Selectric typewriter in 1970, except the keys are really tiny and now you can crash your car or walk off a cliff while typing.

I used to hate people that would text instead of call. Now I'm one of them. I find it much easier to send a quick text to friends to find something out I need to know, rather than call them and get stuck on the phone for however long when all I wanted to do was ask one question.

You get charged for txt because your with crappy at&t and own the jesus phone, enjoy paying them premiums.

The best interface and killer free apps make any premium well worth it. :thumbsup:

 

[astrodudepsu]

because they can make money, and people are stupid

 

[rust0r]

They can charge for texts because the cell phone market is such an oligopoly. Sure there might be different companies, with different phones and plans to choose from but really how different are they from one another? It's not a case of who provides the better value or service, its a case of which one rapes you the least it seems.

It's like being given two options, "you can either screw the fat girl with a hot face, or skinny girl with a face like a horses ass" in either case the outcome is less than desirable

Cell phones have gone from being a luxury 10 years ago to something most people can't live without in todays world, its similar to gas, everyone will bitch about the price, but 95% of people won't change their habits because its a requirement in their lives and they just deal with the costs associated with driving.

I can't wait until someone starts a cell phone/mobile phone company with rates that will cripple these companies. It's really only a matter of time, look what happened to the long distance market, I can call china for something stupid like 3c a minute, that was unheard of only a few years ago.

As someone originally said, some Canadian companies now charge you to RECEIVE text messages as well. It's always nice being in a contract and having them send you a vague mailer stating that your cell phone bill effectively went up $10/month for no apparent reason other than their greed.

I feel your pain

 

[SVT F15O]

"You should get yourself checked ASAP"

Your girlfriend didn't send that to you, did she>??? :lol:

 

[sunburned]

Why would you have a 1500 txt plan when you can get unlimited for like $5 more and not worry about charges?

Just pick up the damn phone and call. Texting was invented to allow high school girls to pass electronic notes in class.

Here we are in the 21st century and you clowns are TYPING messages to one another. It's just like using an IBM Selectric typewriter in 1970, except the keys are really tiny and now you can crash your car or walk off a cliff while typing.

Says the guy who is typing a message that will be relayed to thousands of people on the web. What's the difference in doing it to one person on a phone? It's 1000 times easier when you don't want to have a full convo. For all we know, you typed that post from your phone while driving...

Oh by the way. The telephone was invented in the early 1900's, but computers that could communicate with each other over a network didn't come about until the late 1900's. So why don't you get with the times and start texting more often?

 

[BayouFX4]

They charge so much because they know people will pay. It shouldn't cost so much, but hey you can't get anything for free. I got unlimited because I went over too much. When you're in class, it's easy to ask a simple question or say hey. It helps with boredom too. I can also text when I'm in the stand and not scare the deer away. Not many of my friends are awake at 5 am on a weekend though.

 

[fxystangchic]

I like the fact that you can have unlimited text between verizon users.. its pretty much perfect b/c my fiancee is on verizon and hes honestly the only person I'd probably text to communicate with quickly.

its definatly less interuptive to hear a small <ding> at work instead of a blaringly loud ringtone.