OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-Sprint Nextel Corp. raised the price it charges users to send a text message to 15 cents, up from a previous price of 10 cents. The carrier also added a cent to the cost of “casual” data usage, increasing the per-kilobyte price from 2 cents to 3 cents.
Sprint Nextel implemented the price increase Oct. 1, and warned customers of the change in August and September billing statements.
Most wireless carriers charge subscribers 10 cents to send a text message.
Sprint Nextel said the price increases will only affect customers without a text-messaging or data plan. The carrier offers various unlimited data plans, and its text messaging plans range from $5 for 300 text messages per month to $15 for unlimited messages. Overage charges for text message plans also did not change; if subscribers on text-messaging plans go over their allotted message limit, they must pay 10 cents per message.
Since the changes deal with service prices, affected Sprint Nextel subscribers will be able to get out of their service contracts without paying early-termination fees. However, the carrier pointed out that early-termination fees will only be waived for those customers who pay per-message charges for text messages; customers on text-messaging plans will not be able to get out of their contracts.
Roni Singleton, a spokeswoman for Sprint Nextel, said the carrier increased its text messaging fees due to a rise in the cost of offering the service.
“From time to time we do find it necessary to raise our rates,” she said.
