As someone who has Verizon, and has sold Verizon, as well as T-Mobile,Sprint, and Nextel, I know that they aren’t the cheapest network. But since people who like to use their phone usually get around to getting Verizon, they have a large audience. [If you like to talk without interruptions and dropouts there is no better, I've either had them or sold them, all. It truly amazes me that when I used to sell Sprint, they positioned themselves as the 'business person's cell service', which was a joke...we used to say the slogan was true, if you only wished to speak in airports. Their coverage was dreadful.]

As for text messaging, I only know of teens that use it. I can’t ever remember anyone over the age of 23 that would use text when they had a phone in their hand. So, this might be a case where Verizon expects the teens and tweens to apply pressure to mom and dad for the feature. [Don't forget that most carriers have some sort of unlimited talking for those on their network, so why text when you can talk?]

Great question, “Why do we put up with it?”

It’s simple — despite our claims otherwise, America is a society where businesses dictate options to consumers, and consumers respond by paying or not.

While the ’supply and demand’ theory does drive things to an extent, clearly competition isn’t free enough b/c of giant megacorporations (in this case all the cell phone co’s) block competition, which limits consumers’ ranges of choices.

It’s just like why Iraq war happened. The ‘powers that be’ (Bush/Cheney/Haliburton) wanted an opportunity to expand their oil control and American military power base, and 9/11 was a perfect excuse — even if it meant attacking a country that was no threat. Despite the largest worldwide peace protests ever before a war (millions of people on the streets in USA, and Europe, and S.America and huge turnouts as well) the govt did what it wanted.

It’s not exactly a democracy. It’s an oligarchy that’s supposed to be a republic, but lately things have been changing. Our job as ‘awake’ human beings is to identify ‘double-think’ and ‘double-speak’ for what it is, and de-bunk it.

Read Orwell’s classic book, “1984″, and know more!

This is ridiculous, i have an archaic txt plan 3$ a month for 100 messages (which is about my usage and serves me well usually) i had a busy month of planning stuff and had 150 messages, to be shocked that texting is now 15 cents. I can’t believe they can charge that much for what really must amount to a few kilobytes of data. what can i do, i’m on contract (yet i assume the contract allows for txt rate increases). that would be like signing a lease saying the land lord can raise rent but you can’t leave, how ridiculous.

the supply and demand question would make sense except for the ridiculous amount of money you would need to start a cell phone company. It is definetly an oligarchy. look what happened att became cingular became att. haha

btw i’m 24 but txt message is important when you work all day and can’t answer cell phone calls at work for personal business.

I just want unlimited texting, unlimited talking. I just want to pay for my phone and that is. Its a great idea but not for me I perferred phones that have such good deals but to me this is not a good deal. If you just had me pay for the phone that would be easy like pay monthly that would be a phone for me. But I have to ask if I buy this such, phone and pay $59.95 and 15 cents for text messaging and 25 cents for video and picture is the dumbest thing ever just had to say I rather go for Cingular or Cricket something better than Verizon.

YOU NEED A BETTER DEAL FOR ME TO BUY YOUR CELLS

Okay by the way whats up with the picture with the brown swissed hair. I’m with Verizon and I think its the worst idea ever I have to text all my friends and do you know how many friends I have to much for you to count yeah and paying 15 cents for texting is not my idea for staying for this company. I’ll go for the 59.95 but the rest is just silly. I’m 45 and sometimes my gurl text me and wat I’m I supposed text her wat stop texting me I have to pay texting that is just RIDICULOUS. okay my name is fefe so get it right I’ve been waiting so long to say this VERIZON HAS A BAD DEAL AND THEY SUCK!!!

Good enough for me but anyways I would still go for Verizon but after this I better tell all my famalies to switch to Cricket or something.