Text messages – 6,500% markup

Text messages are short, quick and cheap to transmit. So why are they adding so much to your wireless bill?

The messages are such a tiny piece of data that they cost carriers only about one-third of a cent to deliver, according to computer scientist Srinivasan Keshav, who testified before U.S. senators on the issue last summer.

But on a pay-per-text plan, the 160-character messages typically cost 20 cents outgoing and 10 cents incoming. That’s a markup of as much as 6,500%. OMG!

The others? Check them out after the jump…

• Movie theater popcorn – 900% markup
• “Free” credit reports that’ll cost you
• Name-brand painkillers – 60% markup
• Wine at restaurants – 500% markup
• College textbooks – $900 a year!
• Super gasoline – 15% markup
• Hotel mini-bars – 1,300% markup
• Hotel in-room movies – 200% markup

Source

Related Posts: On this day...

• David Choe Just Made 200 Million USD for Painting the Facebook Office - 2012
• Free excerpt from Jo Walton's brilliant Among Others - 2011
• Federal Court Dismisses Pittsburgh Couple, the Borings (no joke), Privacy Suit Against Google Street View - 2010
• ATM Skimmers Part II - 2010
• Your Facebook is their fortune - 2009
• All your passports are belong to us - 2009
• Encryption Security - 2009
• Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowl 43 Champions! - 2009
• HOWTO: Setup Encrypted Partitions in Linux - 2008