My cell phone bill is quite outrageous.  It includes fees for the voice plans itself, for unlimited 3G data and then for unlimited texts.  Until recently I didn't have the unlimited texts option, but I was constantly going over the number of allowed messages on the $5/mo plan from ATT.  It seems as though I am paying more for text messages than I was several years ago...  even though the cellular networks can now transfer many more bits than previously.

Fortunately, Senator Herb Kohl from Wisconsin feels my pain.  He is starting an inquiry into the rising cost of SMS messages and seeking to determine if the consolidation in the wireless industry is one reason for the increase in costs.  "This conduct is hardly consistent with the vigorous price competition we hope to see in a competitive marketplace," stated the former president of Kohl's department stores.

I am all for free markets, but the telecommunication industry always deserves closer inspection by the public.