U.S. Cellular (News - Alert) is launching a new “Voice Mail to Text” service, allowing mobile subscribers to read their voice messages delivered by text message or email on their mobile phone.

Visual voice mail is a feature consumers seem to enjoy, no doubt. For many, the main value is “random access” rather than sequential or linear scanning of messages. In other words, the feature allows consumers to scan messages rapidly “out of chronological order,” which is how traditional voice mail works.

U.S. Cellular says the service is currently available and free to subscribers as a 30-day trial. The service is $2.99 per month after the 30-day free trial.

But the move also shows the challenges mobile service providers face. Some will point out that similar voice-to-text features are available from Google (News - Alert) Voice or other applications, without payment of a fee.

The business problem is clear enough: it’s tough to sell what another provider is willing to give a customer “for free.” That, in turn, points to the larger issue service providers have with innovation. Constantly, and justifiably, exhorted to "innovate," any service provider also has to ask what the financial return will be, from such innovation. 

Fiber-to-the-home is a much better service than most digital subscriber line service, at least in countries and locations where access loops are long. The reason is that DSL works much better over short loops, as is common in dense, urban areas. It works less well in rural, suburban or other areas where the access spans are longer. 

But service providers have to weigh the costs of upgrading, to the potential revenue, and that is a tough business case under the best of circumstances. Visual voice mail poses similar questions. It is "better." The issue is how many consumers will opt to buy it.