An Optus spokeswoman told ZDNet Australia today that the price -- for messages comprising up to 160 characters -- was increased to "reflect what it costs to provide the service".
The spokeswoman said Optus recently added 71 networks in the United States and Canada to its list of interconnected network providers. She said the rise was also designed to accommodate a rise in fees charged by international vendors to carry international SMS traffic.
Customers were notified of the increase today via a text message.
