TELECOM Digest OnLine - Sorted: Re: Young Cell Users Rack Up Debt, One Dime Message at a Time

Re: Young Cell Users Rack Up Debt, One Dime Message at a Time

Mark Crispin (MRC@CAC.Washington.EDU)
Fri, 14 Jan 2005 14:13:13 -0800

On Thu, 13 Jan 2005, Rob wrote:

> I'm still amazed that, in the US, the person being called on a mobile
> phone has to pay for the call if someone calls or texts them.

Some US carriers offer free incoming SMS and/or free first-minute for
incoming calls. Most mobile phone users buy call bundles which
include some number of minutes that are included in the monthly
charges.

Note that in the US, it is impossible to know if a number is a mobile
phone or a landline; they are in the same number space. It was once
possible, if you knew which exchanges were assigned to mobile phone
companies, but with number portability that is history.

> If someone were to call a mobile phone from a landline in the US, I
> presume that they also pay for the call, right? So, is the cost of
> the call split between the caller and the the person being called?

No, and no.

A call to a mobile phone from a landline is charged the same as a
landline call. Meaning, among other things, that if the mobile phone
number is in the landline's local calling area, the call is free to
the landline user; otherwise, it is charged as any long-distance call.

Because of free local calls and call bundles, most US users don't
think in terms of how much a call to/from a local mobile phone will
cost. It's all part of the basic monthly charge and thus appears to
be free.

-- Mark --

http://staff.washington.edu/mrc
Science does not emerge from voting, party politics, or public debate.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.

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