It’s no secret the U.S. economy is downright *expletive* right now. The national debt is escalating daily to points that seem like it will take a small eternity to lower. The newest fight on our ever shrinking wallets and purses comes by way of the Obama Administrations proposed plan to raise wireless fees to wireless carriers. At first it seems like a good idea, keep the tax/fee increase away from the customers who can’t afford it and instead offload it onto the big corps who can. Unfortunately this plan will fail miserably. Why? The carriers will claim that the increase in fees must be passed to the consumer so they can stay in business. And so beings the vicious cycle. The current fees wireless carriers pay to the government for using public airwaves comes in at around $50 million. By 2010 that amount will rise to $200 million. As you can see it’s clear who will foot the bill. The lower and middle classes…again. I felt that because cell phones are a huge driving force in the gadget world, any substantial increase in rates will be a double edged sword for carriers. Not only will they have to pay the government more, but, they will also lose money as customers cut plans and added features in order to break even at home. Hopefully as the new rates take effect the various carriers will trim the fat, lose the stupid jets, and still come out making a few dollars. If the rate hikes do get passed down, will you keep your current plans, cut features, or drop the carrier all together? Give us a clue.
Source: Mac Daily News, Reuters
