http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=378291

The giant mark-up in Australia makes text messaging byte-for-byte one of the most expensive forms of data transfer.

With a standard 25c text message only consisting of about 140 bytes of data, the cost of sending it is more than 12,000 times the cost of sending the same amount of information on a normal home internet connection.

To put it in iPod terms: the cost of downloading one 4mb song via SMS would cost approximately $7500.

If you put each bit end to end, it would circle the equator 7 times!

I don't understand this new-fangled money business.. How many goats will this cost me?

Haha, I love the "a ninemsn investigation has revealed part". Like f***ing duh they're rorting us on text messages, anyone that has a basic understanding of the technology knows this.

But cashing in on stuff like text messages help subsidise other areas where telcos take a hit.

Of course, they're not going to be able to rely on this particular cash cow forever. Which is why I'm wondering where they're going to start stinging us when more universal data transfer models become commonplace on mobile phones.

Also on ninemsn...

What an innovative idea for an article. I guess they must read slashdot too.

So that is todays money / technology article.

where is the property article and hardship article.

That's right rate rises were the hardship articles today.

7c a text here in Ireland

This is why we need to turn the planet into one big Wi-Max network. Then telco's become irrelevant :)

Stop your bitching, it costs around 20c here to send and receive texts.

7c a text here in Ireland

wouldn't 7c Euro be about 20c AU?

txt'ing is much less popular in the US compared to the UK and Aus because of the costs.

What are some comparative costs ? How bout EU

txt'ing is much less popular in the US compared to the UK and Aus because of the costs.

Conversely it is f***off popular in Japan because it is really really really cheap. Although IIRC texting in Japan is like almost the same as emailing - your phone gets an email address which you can receive. that's sort of how b2s worked anyway, could have the details wrong

paying to receive an SMS what an innovative rort.

Just fyi...

Just got this in an e-mail today, it would appear as if my work phone plan wasn't cheap enough, they renegotiated and its gone down to...

Our Vodafone voice plan offers low rates of:

* Your choice of 9c per 5 minute block calls OR unlimited calls for $1.82 per month, when calling another Company Vodafone mobile or Company fixed line.

* per second billing of 12c per minute (only pay for what you use) when calling other mobiles or fixed lines

* free voicemail

* 11.5c text messages

* Discounts of up to 35% when using global roaming.

Stop your bitching, it costs around 20c here to send and receive texts.

Who the hell are you with?! I'm with Net10 and texts cost me 5c to send/receive. Calls are 10c/min too, not bad for prepaid.

Hey Mongie,

How many phones are on that company plan? Our company is with vodaphone too, knowing another company is getting better rates might be some leverage for us.

ara

7c is roughly 10c AUD, exchange rate is around the 1.60 at the moment, no idea where you get 7c = 20c, not even the GBP is that high!

Ges, I don't know how many services we have... but the company has around 4,500 employees in Australia...

We also use them for blackberries, i'd say maybe 30-40 in Brisbane (with blackberries) and a lot more in Sydney and Melbourne, plus some others around the place...

To guess... maybe 1-2 thousand mobile users in total... but that is a total guess.

so if they charge you to receive a msg
whats the procedure for when you get one?
IE. do you have to actually open it to get charged?

when im near a pc, ill send sms's through pennytel

5cent msg and it says its send from your mobile number, no one knows its sent online. Plus its so much faster typing out an sms with a keyboard :D

You're right, there are better deals. I'm with AT&T because of my work. I was just trying to illustrate how damned outraged about the receive cost. On the plus side, internet doesn't have quotas, which I'm happy about. (Posting from my phone)