In a further promotion of its text messaging services, AT&T Wireless Services Inc. announced plans to expand its services globally to allow users to send messages to subscribers in China, Germany, Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom and a variety of other countries. Indeed, the carrier said it plans expand its interoperable text messages services to 200 carriers in 100 countries in the coming months.
“As the text messaging craze builds around the world, AT&T Wireless continues to break through barriers to make text messaging an easy, affordable means of communication,” said John Bunyan, the carrier’s senior vice president of its Mobile Multimedia Services division. “Today we’re bringing this interoperability to countries where texting is wildly popular-so friends and family can stay just a text message away. In the coming months, we’ll expand our reach to dozens more countries to better serve the growing demand for messaging services worldwide.”
AT&T Wireless has largely been at the forefront of the U.S. text messaging market. The carrier in 2001 took the first step to open its network to text messages from other carriers, spurring last year’s cross-carrier messaging frenzy. AT&T Wireless also recently launched a major text messaging short code campaign with the TV show “American Idol.”
AT&T Wireless’ international text messaging capability is available to all customers with compatible handsets. Customers in the United States can send text messages to users in other countries for 25 cents. Chile, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Germany, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Peru, Saipan, Singapore, United Kingdom and Venezuela are the initial countries covered by AT&T Wireless’ global messaging effort. Additional countries will be added in the coming months.
