T-Mobile Increases SMS Rates

T-Mobile has just announced that they will be raising the fee of their per-message SMS from 15 cents to 20 cents, effective August 29th. While it can be said that they’re responding to the industry average price, but as they’re often referred to as one of the most value-oriented carriers in the country, their subscribers might suddenly feel that they’re not so value-oriented anymore.

Some users who have been previously contemplating changing to another network will undoubtedly be asking whether they will be able to leave without an ETF (Early Termination Fee). Some speculate that these rate hikes are seen as material breaches of contract on the carrier side, which should be enough to get users a get-out-of-jail ticket if they push hard enough. The timing of this announcement probably isn’t too smart, as the iPhone 3G launch is just around the corner, some users will probably give some serious consideration to changing networks.