T-Mobile is the last of the big four to hike SMS to 20 cents

Deutsche Telekom division T-Mobile has joined its main competitors in the United States with a bump in text messaging fees from $0.15 up to $0.20, more than a year after a price hike from $0.10 to $0.15.

Customers looking to opt out of their subscriber contract with T-Mobile will likely be able to use this SMS increase as a legitimate excuse. Although T-Mobile representatives over the phone may tell you it's not allowed, some reports including this from independent service BerryReview.com suggest a price increase could be perceived as a material breach of contract. As a result, subscribers may be able to opt out without paying an early termination fee.

Some of those opt-outs could head straight to AT&T, now that users have a target date for the Apple iPhone 3G model on the horizon.

The increased prices will go into effect on August 29.

Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint also bumped up their SMS charges to $0.20 per message, both sent and received, over the past few months. Sprint increased prices last October, with Verizon increasing text messaging prices up to $0.20 in March.

The number of minutes included in a phone plan is rapidly diminishing in importance to customers, while data used -- such as text messages sent and received -- is what prospective subscribers are coming to rely upon as their gauge of relative value. Price increases for SMS may be intended to get subscribers to sign up for bulk messaging plans, while also raking in additional money from the growing popularity of text messages.

For example, T-Mobile has a $4.99 per month text plan that includes 400 domestic messages sent and received, with a $9.99 plan for 1,000 messages, and $14.99 for unlimited domestic messages. Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint also have similar text message plans.