Texting – What’s Next? (part 1)

Just as texting revolutionized the way we communicate with each other, the development of prepaid cards, and some time later, E-load, revolutionized just how often we communicate with each other.

A decade ago, cellular phones were still postpaid, one had to register for a line and as such provide certain information and wait for his or her application to be approved. The costs involved were quite high, and as such having a cellphone back then often meant that either your rich or the company your working for is. Also, having a bill in the tens of thousands happened to some individuals, executives who really had to be in touch with their staff 24/7 wherever they are (or at least wherever there’s a cellsite).

And then came texting, which at the start was offered for free and as such became a craze. People were hooked and for a time the telcos (Smart and Globe) fought out the interconnection battle between themselves. Texting lowered the cellphone bills since it allowed for a free alternative to making calls (which were billed) and the telcos noticed this fact. More importantly, the telcos noticed that texting was becoming more and more prevalent and represented a tremendous volume of messages which, they figured, could be translated to tremendous revenues as well.

Of course, the telcos stated that the massive texting services had to be billed since it added to their costs and strained their facilities therefore forcing them to upgrade. As such, people suddenly had to pay for something they had gotten for free. But it worked out very well for the telcos. People found it worth their money to pay for texting. In any case, it was still much cheaper than making a call.

Some people argue that texting wouldn’t have been such a success if it weren’t for the fact that it was initially offered for free and for such reason it had hooked a lot of people early on. Stated in the negative, it wouldn’t have clicked had it been a billed service from the start. It’s like getting hooked on the samples they give away at the grocery (those meats and what have you on toothpicks which they offer to shoppers, usually the moms, who do the grocery, and the kids, who nag mom what groceries to buy) and then eventually liking it so much that purchases are made. But in the case of texting, it’s like the meats got sold out, what with the addiction of our people to it. Of course, the telcos say it wasn’t on purpose (in fairness to them, it seems clear that nobody ever expected texting o be such a good hit).

Then of course came the prepaid cards, which allowed easier ownership and maintenance of cellphones, and the now ubiquitous e-load stations, which gives each and everyone of us access to load practically anywhere we go. With all these innovations, the question arises, what’s next for texting?

-by Stanley Cabrera