Verizon Plan To Charge Text Message Fee Irks Marketers.

Wednesday, Oct 15, 2008

Verizon Wireless on Friday seemed to step back from a controversial plan to charge companies a 3-cent fee for text messages that it delivers to its subscribers.

RCR Wireless News first reported Thursday that Verizon would impose the new charge for every message handled on its network starting Nov. 1. But with mobile marketers expressing alarm about the potential impact of the proposed fee, the No. 2 wireless carrier appeared to soften its position on the matter.

Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson told The New York Times Friday that the company had not set a specific price for delivering text messages or a date that a new fee might go into effect. Any new charge also would not affect messages sent by nonprofit organizations or political or advocacy groups, the company told.

Verizon partners told they had already received formal notification of the change through OpenMarket, a division of Amdocs . that handles billing matters for the wireless operator.

Companies that send SMS text messages such as 4INFO and mBlox suggested that the fee could lead them to dramatically cut back on or stop altogether sending messages to Verizon customers.

Source: Mediapost