mocoNews - Twitter Brings Back UK SMS, More Countries To Follow

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Robert Andrews

mocoNews.net
Thursday, March 26, 2009; 7:00 PM

We said earlier this month Twitter was just a few weeks away reinstating inbound SMS to UK mobile users - and now it's happening. The microblog platform says it's done a deal with Vodafone (NYSE: VOD). Receiving SMS tweets will be free for all Voda customers, outgoing SMS tweets will come out of customers' text message bundles (or otherwise, cost just a standard SMS rate, presumably).

Whilst Vodafone is first to get the reinstated service, we understand announcements regarding the other three main networks - O2, T-Mobile and 3 - may be made in the next few days or weeks. From Twitter's blog: "Twitter will continue to make arrangements with operators around the world so hopefully your country and your mobile provider will be next." The service did a deal with Bell Mobility in Canada in February.

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone canned UK inbound SMS in August, warning excessive termination fees could cost the service $1,000 per user per year. The messages were routed through the Isle Of Man, where, despite voice calls being billed the same rates as on the UK mainland, SMS rates charged to services by Isle telcos are unregulated. The breakthrough came in recent weeks after the appointment of Kevin Thau as Twitter's mobile business development VP in January. Thau has been meeting carriers in Europe and the SMS return comes at just the right time, with Twitter actually threatening to go mainstream, and now confirming plans for a premium option.

Updated: Twitter Trying To Restore SMS For UK, Founder Promises