Bell jacking TXT messaging fees

July 3rd, 2008Bell jacking TXT messaging fees

Bell has decided that they would like to dip in to your pockets a little further, and now that you are hooked on TXT messaging, why not start there?

From now on all TXTs received on your Bell phone will count against you. If you have no TXTing plan, you will pay 15cents/message, if you do have a plan, incoming messages will now count against your total. So if you have a plan that includes 100 TXT messages, and I send you 3, you are down to 97 messages.

If you send a TXT message from outside of the country, you are now on the hook for 60cents. Most US providers charge 20cents for the same service.

oppy69

hey, if you don't want to pay to receive text messages, just ask to opt out of the feature (SMST). surely they can't force you to pay for a service you don't want.
WirelessGuy

Monkey see, monkey do.

Most US carriers are charging for incoming text now. Why would our greedy Canadian counterparts choose to leave that revenue on the table when the Americans have set the precedent? This is a move to improve ARPU by incenting you to sign up to a $5+ monthly text package. The actual costs to deliver text messaging are decreasing every due to depreciation of the infrastructure used to deliver it. Factor in volume discounting in intra-carrier SMS deals too.

Rogers is next. Count on it.

What's on the horizon? $0.20 per message.
heri

I was in France before Montreal, and over there, people who receive calls on their mobile phones don't pay anything.

Everybody takes it for granted since you can't control who calls you. It might be one dear friends, but also a telemarketer or someone who misdialled.

this was the most natural of things until I landed in Canada and actually learned that you have to pay if someone calls you.

I strongly believe this practice is one of the main reasons why mobile phone penetration is much higher in North America, especially Canada, compared to Europe. Over there, everyone has a mobile phone, with many of my friends having a couple or three.
WirelessGuy

Having 2 or 3 SIM cards is the other side of the coin - who *really* wants to juggle multiple SIM cards just so they can get a better rate?

You're correct, one of the major reasons why mobile phone penetration is so low here is because of unlimited landline free local calling zones. People here expect to make local calls for free at all times - and do - affordably , both incoming and outgoing. Plus, the landline infrastructure is great here and readily available. This has not always been the case in a lot of European countries.

Network operator policy and technology such as network/carrier incompatibilities, CDMA, and the lack of openly unlocked GSM handsets, to name a few, also have contributed.
Bebo

Same with Telus actually, at the end of August I believe...
I hope this doesn't turn into a trend!
Jevon

In Canada, 2 makes more than a trend. ;-)
WirelessGuy

It's not a trend, it's a cartel. :-)
Sportyboard

In some more positive news, though, Bell will be offering an unlimited data plan for - get this - $10 a month with the Samsung Instinct. http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2008/07/03/bell-instinct.html
Robert

Wow. This sucks! SMS is taking away from voice minutes. Damn bandits. Let me guess their excuse is, high gas prices?
branden

haha. high gas prices. lovely. no doubt.
Jevon

Well, they do have to truck those bits from one place to another. Why do you think your TXT message can be so delayed sometimes? (90 minutes for me today a few times)
WirelessGuy

Intercarrier SMS by chance? Blame the delay on shoddy infrastructure provided by a third party and technology differences which made the intercarrier gateway necessary in the first place.
Jevon

No Rogers PAYGO to normail Rogers.

Wirelessnorth.ca

July 3rd, 2008Bell jacking TXT messaging fees

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