With the SMS / txt revolution apparently unstoppable, Britons are now sending more than one billion text messages per week, according to the latest figures from the Mobile Data Association (MDA).

The figure is 25% higher than a year ago and is set to shatter forecasts for how many text messages have been sent to and from handsets this year.

That weekly total is the same as the number sent during the whole of 1999.

Some 4.8bn texts were sent in September 2007, equivalent to 4,000 every second.

"It has exceeded our forecasts quite significantly," said Mike Short, head of the MDA.

The total for 2007 looks set to reach 52 billion, he said. This was far in excess of the 42-48 billion the MDA previously predicted would be sent this year.

Nico Köpke, CEO of KODIME Ltd, commented: "Consumers continue to embrace mobile as their most favourite and personal digital channel. While email and instant messaging are also growing on newer mobile handsets, SMS texting remains the #1 killer application for any interaction, whether peer-to-peer or business-to-consumer. The increased buzz and visibility of the mobile internet combined with these astonishing levels of SMS traffic mean that mobile marketing and commerce are fully on target to achieve their full potential."