But now fixed line texting is starting to boost that number by millions as public awareness of the capability grows and as UK consumers increasingly seek out and adopt 'convergent solutions'. 

MORE REVENUE, MORE OPPORTUNITIES

The 105 million text messages sent over UK landlines in the past 12 months are only one aspect of a trend that could lead to extra revenues for Communications Providers. The ability to send texts from a mobile to a home phone, between home phones and from a home phone to a mobile, is also establishing fresh points of contact and facilitating greater interaction between phone users of all kinds and across generations. With these fresh patterns of communication comes the potential for extra volumes of traffic on both the PSTN and mobile networks.

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WHOLESALE FIXED LINE TEXT AND JINGLEZ

Wholesale Fixed Line Text is the BT Wholesale service that enables Communications Providers to offer fixed line consumer and business customers the ability to send text messages to other fixed line phones and to mobiles. The service's unique text-to-speech (TTS) translation facility means that text messages can be listened to as well as read, depending on the capability of the receiving handset, making it an all-inclusive communications channel.
 
In November 2006, BT Wholesale launched a collection of sound byte 'Jinglez' with promotional activity by 'Dr Who' actor Tom Baker to raise the profile of fixed line texting in the UK marketplace.

The 26 different sounds - ranging from 'Happy Birthday' and 'Jingle Bells' to cheers and giggles - are on offer free through an unbranded website at www.fixedtext.com for people to use as a fun, new way to send special greetings to friends and family on both landline and mobile networks.