FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2011 file photo, a driver uses a cellphone while driving in Los Angeles. California regulators are considering a plan to charge a fee for text messaging on mobile phones to help support programs that make phone service accessible to the poor. The Mercury News said Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018, the proposal is scheduled for a vote next month. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)
The California Public Utilities Commission is considering charging a fee for texting on mobile phones. The proposal aimed at raising money for programs to make phone service available to the poor is scheduled for a vote next month. Its unclear how much users would be charged, but it is likely it would be billed as a flat surcharge and per text. Meanwhile, the wireless industry and other business groups are opposed to the plan, arguing the state commission doesn’t have the legal grounds to tax texting.