US telecom providers are scalawags, for sure. The entire setup there on phones and contract plans, and charges, is bizarre compared to most of the planet. Unfortunately, they seem to enjoy cartel-style privileges though there are signs that might be changing. The plans for the most part aren't cost-friendly to people who travel internationally. So it's not as easy to escape to a better situation if one insists on using US-based plan for all worldwide communication needs.

When in China, I receive quite a few spam SMS on my Chinese phone. There seems to be no way to really stop them (though I have an old non-smart handset). I'm not sure why some of us get the spam and others don't--maybe provider, location, hardware/device or other.