With just 160 characters allowed per message and pricing in Europe around 0.15 euros per message sent, such talk isn't cheap.

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As a result, the number of messages sent per subscriber per month was just over seven in December 2002, compared with a global average of around 30.

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Sharon Little, chief executive of the Greeting Card Association, said more cards were sent per person in the UK than anywhere else in the world, but the change in prices was a "worry".

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