UK Twitter Users Go Cold Turkey; US Still Online
U.K. Twitter users woke up this morning to an e-mail message from Biz Stone, Twitter co-founder, saying that they will no longer be able to receive outbound SMS over a U.K. phone number. The latest changes do not affect users in the United States, Canada, or India, where Twitter says it can still "provide full incoming and outgoing SMS service without passing along operator fees."
Twitter's cost of passing along messages had simply gotten too high, Stone's message says. Even if Twitter capped outgoing SMS messages to 250 per week for every Twitter user tied to the U.K. number, cost would still average $1000 yearly.
Some view Twitter's future now in a grim light, as Twitter is (proportionally) the most popular in the U.K. Angry users have set up a Facebook group asking U.K. mobile phone operators for decent deal on Twitter SMS costs.
Biz Stone explains that "mobile operators in most of the world charge users to send updates. When you send one message to Twitter and we send it to ten followers, you aren't charged ten times--that's because we've been footing the bill." But with Twitter's growth in popularity, the price of maintaining this service became too high for the company to keep subsidizing it. With the U.K. SMS service gone, users in other European countries using the U.K. number are cut off as well. Ongoing reactions to the European-wide cut can be found here.
Twitter is now urging its SMS service users to start receiving updates via e-mail, and also recommends various mobile alternatives. Also starting to emerge: Speculation about a premium rate SMS service from Twitter, as in Europe there is a mainstream adoption of extra SMS charges.
"It makes more sense for us to establish fair billing arrangements with mobile operators than it does to pass these high fees on to our users," Twitter's Stone tells the company's U.K. users. Twitter's business is already expanding and the company plans to soon enter more countries across Europe and Asia.
Most mobile carriers in the world charge ridiculous amounts of money for basic text messages so it's no surprise that Twitter had to pull the plug. Twitter tried to establish relationships with mobile operators around the world so its SMS services could become sustainable. Apparently the company did not manage to achieve this in the U.K., but it's not through trying. Some international deals actually bring in some revenue, according to Venture Beat, which could subsidize other regions.
Twitter says it will roll out local numbers for some European users in the coming months, so those who were using the U.K. number may see their service restored. Twitter also says it wants to negotiate with mobile carriers around the world so that users in every country will be able to use the outgoing service. Until then, U.K. and many European users will have to settle for the Web-based service, m.twitter.com, and most smart phone users can install an application for their device.
Ian Paul contributed to this report.
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NEWS - www.twitsms.co.uk has already launched to give Twitter fans their SMS back! The site is very simple - allowing users to choose the friends they want to hear from and pay per SMS. From as little as 7pence per SMS (100 texts for 7pounds) it is an affordable way for fans who want to stay connected. Check it out and let us know what you think! You also get 5 free SMS to try it out.
Thanks!
Delia Timms, Co-founder, www.twitsms.co.uk
NEWS - www.twitsms.co.uk has already launched to give Twitter fans their SMS back! The site is very simple - allowing users to choose the friends they want to hear from and pay per SMS. From as little as 7pence per SMS (100 texts for 7pounds) it is an affordable way for fans who want to stay connected. Check it out and let us know what you think! You also get 5 free SMS to try it out.
Thanks!
Delia Timms, Co-founder, www.twitsms.co.uk