Twitter has certified Myriad’s USSD messaging service to enable it to expand its service offering to mobile users in emerging markets.

Twitter for USSD is a text-based mobile messaging service that provides simple, low-cost access to Twitter for users on feature phones who typically do not have a mobile data plan. It will enable the social media service to be delivered via an SMS-like interface to the majority of mobile subscribers in emerging territories. Myriad will initially offer low-cost Twitter access for mobile subscribers in Latin America, Africa, Asia and India. The program is priced at a fraction of the cost of a standard data plan.

“Twitter’s certification and agreement to support the deployment of our Twitter for USSD service is a major milestone,” said Myriad Group CEO, Stephen Dunford. “Our goal is to help extend the growing worldwide popularity of Twitter, by making the service accessible to users who would otherwise be unable to afford to access the service.”