Read my lips, no new texts...

So you like text messaging, eh cell phone users? Well it's going to keep costing you money.

What's that? You don't even know what text messaging is? Too bad, you're going to have to start paying for it as well.

Customers with contracts from Bell Canada and Telus will soon be paying for incoming text messages, regardless of whether or not you want them. The policy will coming into play in mid-August and will incorporate a 10-15 cents/message charge to cell phone users.

Shit. That's me. And probably you, too.

They'll make a pretty penny off this. Not only will you get charged for incoming text messages from friends, family and business, you'll also be charged for the spam you get. And where does that spam come from? Most likely from companies that your cell phone provider has sold your information too. Sometimes it may even be sister companies that your provider owns, allowing them to make money everytime their sister company spams you. What crooks.

It's not all that hard for them to do it. The Canadian telecommunications industry is one of the most concentrated in the developed world. The price we pay for wireless service is one of the highest in the developed world and it's not hard to see why. The country is dominated by the Big Three: Rogers, Telus and Bell Canada. In economics we call this an oligopoly.

Think about it for a second. Do you know anyone who has a wireless plan through anyone else? And if you're thinking Fido; they're owned by Rogers.

Man, the Canadian wireless industry sucks.

But have no fear, for the government is here. The federal government has recently announced their intention to grant more licenses to companies that are currently prohibited from the industry. That should clear it up a bit. Whenever it actually happens.

And the whole text messaging issue has obviously put a lot of people up in arms. So many in fact that our trusty Industry Minister Jim Prentice has scheduled a meeting with both companies to try to desuade them from pursuing this new text policy. Pretty gutsy move for a government bent on deregulation of the wireless industry, but still a commendable one. We can only hope Prentice actually convinces them to do so. Otherwise there may be quite an uproar.

Hey Rogers, you want some new business?