First it was Sprint Nextel, then Cingular Wireless and Verizon Wireless: Now T-Mobile USA has joined the pack by raising individual SMS prices from 10 cents to 15 cents, effective June 1. Messaging has long been the cash cow for the big carriers so a 50 percent raise in fees should have some effect on their ARPU, but the stated goal is to move more subscribers into plans with buckets of text messages. Unlike its larger rivals, however, T-Mobile USA did not raise the price of its MMS messages, but rather decreased the 25 cent fee to 15 cents per message. No word on whether the change in fees constitute a material change to their subscribers' existing contracts, and whether it would allow them to opt-out without having to pay an early termination fee.
For more on T-Mobile USA's new messaging prices:
- see this article from RCR News