Verizon Wireless: Now it’s 20 cents per text message

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By Colin Gibbs
Story posted: January 8, 2008 - 1:05 pm EDT

Verizon Wireless will follow Sprint Nextel Corp.’s lead in bumping text messaging rates from 15 cents to 20 cents per message.

The carrier is informing postpaid subscribers that the cost for domestic text messages will be increased in March; messaging rates for prepaid users will remain unchanged at 2 cents to 10 cents per message, depending on the plan. The move mirrors Sprint Nextel’s rate hike, which took effect three months ago.

Verizon is using the increase to push its messaging bundles. The carrier offers 500 text and picture messages plus unlimited in-network messaging for $10 a month; 5,000 messages plus unlimited in-network messaging is available for $20 a month.

The moves are notable as Verizon Wireless and the rest of the nation’s major carriers increased their text messaging rates from 10 cents to 15 cents starting in 2006.