O2 does free Twitter SMS alerts

O2 customers will shortly be able to get free SMS alerts from Twitter - a year after the microblogging site pulled the plug on its free text alert service in the UK.

Twitter has seen its popularity increase dramatically in recent months, with mobile particularly suited to keeping up to date with the site's 140-character updates. O2 is now seeking to monetise the popularity of the social networking website by encouraging customers to increase their SMS-based interaction with the site.

O2 UK already offers free alerts from two other social networking sites, Bebo and Facebook, and from next month customers will also be able to receive Twitter updates from chosen friends, along with @mentions and direct messages via text message.

However, Twitter users who reply to tweets using their O2 mobile will have texts deducted from their bundle or if they've already used it up, have to fork out 10p per text.

In contrast, a recent Vodafone offer allows the operator's Twitter-using customers to both send and receive Twitter updates for free. The offer is temporary, however.

Until last year, all UK mobile users were able to get free Twitter SMS as the company shouldered the cost of text messages itself.

In August 2008 however the start-up suspended the service in the UK, citing a lack of "sustainable billing rates" with mobile operators and therefore a disproportionate cost in operating the service here, although it's still available in other countries, such as Canada, India and the US.

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