UK text messaging figures for March 2004 reached 2.1 billion, an increase of nearly 80 million on February's total according to figures released today by the Mobile Data Association (MDA). Person-to-person texts sent across the UK GSM network operators last month show an increase of almost 25% on the total sent during the same period in 2003. March's figure shows a daily average of 69 million compared to 56 million in March 2003 and 43 million in March 2002.

As March's figure continues to show, texting is being used by more of the population for an increasing number of reasons.

Earlier this month the MDA launched a texting facility for SAGA radio, the independent radio station targeting the 50+ age group. Within minutes of activating the service SAGA Radio were inundated with texts from their listeners responding to requests from the presenters. A competition to find out who their listeners would most like to text to and what they would say was a tremendous success and led to responses such as:

"Lord, save me a seat"
Stevie Wonder: "I just text to say I luv u"
Camelot: "My numbers are!"
Winston Churchill: "Come back, all is forgiven"