CTIA Research: 4.1 Billion Text Messages Are Sent Daily

CTIA-The Wireless Association announced today the findings of its semi-annual industry survey, which includes numerous metrics on the industry’s continued positive growth and popularity.

The survey also found that more than 246 million data-capable devices are in the hands of consumers today. More than 40 million of these devices are Smartphones or wireless-enabled PDAs and more than 10 million are wireless-enabled laptops, notebooks or aircards.

Among the other findings:

• Text messaging continues to be enormously popular, with more than 740 billion text messages carried on carriers’ networks during the first half of 2009—breaking down to 4.1 billion messages per day.

• Wireless subscribers are also sending more pictures and other multi-media messages with their mobile devices—more than 10.3 billion MMS messages were reported for the first half of 2009, up from 4.7 billion in mid-year 2008.

• There are currently more than 276 million wireless users. This represents a year-over-year increase of nearly 14 million subscribers.

• Wireless customers using more than 1.1 trillion minutes in the first half of 2009—breaking down to 6.4 billion minutes-of-use per day—and six-month wireless service revenues of nearly $76 billion.

For additional results of the mid-year survey, you can listen to a podcast with CTIA’s Vice President of Research, Dr. Robert Roche, as he discusses highlights of the survey results.