Messsaging apps could cost wireless providers plenty

Nearly any parent who unwittingly handed a cellphone to a teenager has a story about receiving that first bill and seeing a whopping charge for SMS services.

Texting, which has been a big source of revenue for wireless companies, is undergoing a change.

Several free messaging apps use a Wi-Fi connection, thereby skipping the wireless company's network. That could equate to a big loss of bucks for wireless companies.

The International Herald Tribune says one research firm sees wireless companies losing out on $54 billion by 2016.

Read the entire story on the International Herald Tribune.