Best provider for texting the USA?

Can anyone recommend what would be the best provider for texting the US?  I'm currently with Virgin and am wanting out.

I'd prefer to go onto a contract and was looking at T-Mobile's Flext, but I think that only covers calls & texts within the UK.     I'm not wanting to be charged the earth for it.  About 20p seems to be the going rate for texting the US...

Thanks in advance!   

That's probably about the going rate for the US since most plans here are 20 cents a text (both sending and recieving). From the US end I know the only provider that covers international texts as part of a bundle is AT&T.

Thanks Astrobabe, but I'm looking for a provider within the UK that covers international texts to the USA within a package - if anyone does it.   

I know O2 offer a discounted call & text bundle, but you have to pay extra each month on top of your tarrif to get the reduced rates (charged on top of your monthly tarrif).     I'm going into centre of Sheffield tomorrow, so I think I'm gonna have a look in Carphone Warehouse & Phones4U tomorrow to see if they can help at all.  There's also all the main providers own shops to go into to compare deals as well.     Oh fun.

I used to be able to text my husbands Verizon phone via email..and it was free to do.

Hmm, that's an option if I go with a contract with web access...  Most of my fam's on Verizon anyway, so that could work.  Thanks for that Luc!   

I used to do it with my standard yahoo email - no particular contract.  I used to recieve them to my email also..

I will PM you how I did it..

Go with T-Mobile UK!

I just signed up for T-Mobile's Flext and have found you get 5 free international texts (sent normal) and to get international texts taken out of your monthly Flext allowance you just need to send your messages in MMS (picture message) format!   

Probably the cheapest method of texting the US is, to install SKYPE.  Buy a bit of credit and text to your hearts content..............worked fine for us.