About half the mobile phones used in the United Kingdom can send picture messages, more than 448 million of which were sent. “That is equivalent to 19 million rolls of film,” the Guardian's Richard Wray wrote.

Part of the reason for increased usage is that companies, such as T-Mobile, have launched flat-rate broadband packages for mobiles, while new phones, especially the Apple iPhone, make accessing the Internet on mobiles a more attractive idea for consumers.

“Mobile voice took off because it lets individuals do what they've always done and wanted to do, the way they've always done, but, with mobile, wherever and whenever they want. The same is becoming true of mobile Internet,” said Jim Hyde, UK boss of T-Mobile, according to the Guardian. “In time, broadband mobile will be individuals' primary way of accessing the Internet - and it will have a greater impact than even mobile voice has had.”