The Cost of Email on mobile platforms

Originally published on LinkedIn

and the cost of a web page...

The cost of Internet out there...

I have been to a few pacific islands countries, and recently in Fiji, the SMS Roaming welcome message made me start to think about the cost of Emails on mobile platforms.

Here are some charts for US providers on data roaming prices:

• AT&T: http://www.att.com/att/global/affordable-world-packages/?data
• T-Mobile: http://www.t-mobile.com/optional-services/roaming.html
• Verizon: http://www.verizonwireless.com/wcms/global/plans-and-pricing.html
• Sprint: http://shop2.sprint.com/assets/pdfs/en/support/guides/services/worldwide/Worldwide_eflyer.pdf

In short the price goes from unlimited data for a monthly fee to 20$ per MB. In emerging countries it seems the price point runs around 15$ per MB.

On the other hand if you live, for instance in Fiji, on mobile, you have these sort of data plans:

• Digicel Fiji: http://www.digicelfiji.com/en/services/voice/data-bundle
• Vodafone Fiji: http://www.vodafone.com.fj/pages.cfm/personal/price-plan/prepay-flashnet-1/

Or about 4$ per GB

I even knew a system in Solomon Islands that was using VHF radio with a store and forward email system to communicate with Internet cafés in the Islands (PFNet). The cost, if not mistaken, was estimated back then at about 0.10$ a kB or 100$ per MB