Text messaging a 60 million percent markup?

The calculating is imperfect, but the general idea is the same. Text messaging is a huge ripoff. I personally choose to speak with my wallet and refuse to pay for texts.

According to http://gthing.net/the-true-cost-of-sms-messages/

COSTS OF TRANSFERING 2,560 MP3s: (approx. 10 gigs) via my ISP: $1 via SMS: $61,356,851.20

Notes on /.: http://mobile.slashdot.org/mobile/08.../0244208.shtml

I have free text messaging.

Same here.

That's a luxury not shared by many.

I have it too. Gotta love work and nepotism.

I get five free messages a day. The package was supposed to run out years ago, but it hasn't. I'm not complaining, though.

It'd take me a while to transfer 2,560 mp3's, though - five a day for 512 days.

The main carrier here is Verizon, and they are raising prices soon. It's 20 cents to send or receive, or you can pay $40+ on top of your bill for an unlimited texting plan. Pretty lame.

I don't know if we've got a 'main' provider over here. There are major ones, like O2, Vodafone and Orange, but no single one that lords it above the others.

Hundreds of different plans as a result. I think the standard for text messages is 10p, but every provider gives unlimited texts if you top up a certain amount each month (usually a tenner) or unlimited texts and a few hundred free minutes if you're on a contract. Hard to remember all the different things... and they change every year.