Sprint Nextel will increase its casual text-message rate Oct. 1 t...

to 20 cents from 10 cents a message, she said. Sprint is alerting customers of the change in their August and September bills, the spokeswoman said. Customers can’t use the increase to get out of their contracts without termination fees, the spokeswoman said. Sprint’s terms of service allow customers to terminate without fee “in response to a materially adverse change.” But the SMS rate change affects a “casual use charge” that Sprint’s terms of service say is “not a core part of the rate plan package.” The termination fee waiver “only applies to fee changes to plans with a term commitment, such as voice plans,” the spokeswoman said. “Attachables and additional services such as text messaging do not require a term commitment and can be canceled at any time without penalty or affecting the customers’ contract… Casual usage is not covered by the terms and conditions since it is not subscription-based.” Sprint did allow customers to leave without termination fee when it raised the charge to 15 cents from 10 cents in October 2006.