T-Mobile is raising its Regulatory Programs and Telco Recovery Fee for the second time in 2026, effective October 12. Voice lines will go from $4.49 to $5.49 per line per month, while mobile internet lines rise from $2.10 to $2.60.

The fee is not a government tax. It is a surcharge T-Mobile uses to recover compliance costs such as E911 and carrier interconnection charges. The company updated its fees page to confirm the hike.

It is the third increase in under two years. The fee rose from $3.49 to $3.99 in April 2025 and from $3.99 to $4.49 in January 2026, adding $2 per line per month with no change to plans. Customers on older tax-inclusive plans such as Magenta or One are shielded because T-Mobile must absorb the cost. Switching to a newer plan forfeits that protection.

Analysts note that rising wireless prices fed August inflation. Wireless bills jumped 5.9 percent from July to August, the largest single-month CPI jump in about 30 years, possibly influencing the Federal Reserve’s rate decision.