Cellular phone users often underestimate what they spend on text messaging, US-based Integrated Marketing Solutions (IMS) said, citing survey results.

Survey respondents estimate that they spend an average of P544 on texting every month but computations on actual spending show an average of P1,110 a month, IMS said in a statement.

Seventy-four percent of respondents also said that they would rather send a text message that place a call because texting seemed cheaper, IMS added.

Sixty percent said that they usually failed to understand messages because text phrases were unclear. About 95 percent said it would be easier to understand one another if they were to call rather than send text messages, but they were deterred from making calls because of the cost.

Phone companies charge a monthly fee for residential landlines of P600-P700 a month—cheaper than the monthly texting cost found by IMS.

The National Telecommunications Commission believes that voice calls and text messaging can be made cheaper, and has proposed lowering the rates.

The commission says commercial arrangements among phone companies keep costs high for consumers. Edited by INQUIRER.net