Twitter Two-Way SMS returns to Rogers, Fido

In a bold move that show just how ahead of the curve they really are, Rogers and Fido have reached a deal with Twitter to bring back the ability to send and receive updates to the microblogging service via SMS, which the US (and Canada) have been doing since 2006. Canadian users used to have the ability to tweet via SMS, but it was unceremoniously yanked due to Canadian wireless industry fees being far too expensive. Earlier this year a deal was reached with Bell Mobility, and now Rogers and Fido have also agreed to not charge additional fees for tweets. It’s still probably a good idea to add unlimited text messaging to your plan to avoid draconian charges when you get chatty. Telus has yet to reach a deal with Twitter.

Those who access Twitter through apps on their iPhone or Blackberry may shrug and get back to to tweeting, but the ability to access Twitter through SMS opens up not only basic phones but also vast areas of the world who rely on SMS and cheap mobile phones for all of their online activity. And if nothing else, the fact that Canada has buckled and allowed another feature on its wireless network means that maybe, just maybe, our mobile industry stands a fighting chance of catching up to the rest of the world.