| A New Text Record. Over 6 Million Messages Sent per Hour |
04/01/06 |
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For Immediate Release : Wednesday 04 January 06
Conditions Of Use : MDA to be credited as source.
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| As 2006 dawned it seems that people in the UK were checking their phones as intently as their clocks, with industrious texters celebrating the New Year's arrival amongst friends and family via text message.
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The total number of messages sent between midnight 31st December 2005 and midnight 1st January 2006 was a staggering 165 million, an average of 6.9 million per hour and the highest daily total ever recorded by the Mobile Data Association (MDA).
Person-to-person texts sent across the UK GSM network operators on New Years Day 2006 show a growth of 24% on the 2005 figure of 133 million, as increasing numbers of people chose text messaging to convey New Year messages. Revellers unsure as to whether or not the target of their message had managed to stay awake until midnight could rest assured that their wishes for a Happy New Year would still be discreetly delivered and read when appropriate.
Over the last six years text.it (www.text.it) has witnessed text messaging grow from a popular craze to becoming an essential communication tool, inclusive to all age groups. The MDA has forecast that figures will continue to rise this year to deliver an annual total of 36.5 billion text messages for 2006, with an average of 3 billion messages being sent per month and 100 million per day, compared with an estimated 82 million per day in 2005, 68.5 million in 2004, and 56.2 million in 2003.
The full statistics of this text message explosion and monthly figure releases can be found at:
www.text.it/mediacentre/default.asp?intPageID=96.
Monthly text messaging figures are announced by the MDA on a monthly basis. In addition text message counts are carried out on specific days throughout the year by the MDA. Diary dates incorporating the most recent figures are listed on the web site at www.text.it/mediacentre/default.asp?intPageID=478
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- Previous New Year’s Day SMS Figures Monitored by the MDA:
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2004
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2005
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111 million
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133 million
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- 6th December 2005, the Mobile data Association (MDA) forecast that text messaging figures will rise to deliver an annual total of 36.5 billion text messages for 2006
- June 2005 marked the launch of Phase 6 of the MDA’s generic awareness campaign to promote the advantages of text messaging across all networks, and provide a current information service through the text.it website for both consumers and business users. The consumer campaign targets both users and non-SMS users. The corporate programme focuses on business end-users and incorporates a web-based information service
- The Mobile Data Association (MDA) was established in 1994 to increase awareness of mobile data amongst users and their advisers. The MDA acts as a focal point for its members, (vendors and users) and outside parties interested in knowing more about the industry
- The MDA announces the total number of chargeable person-to-person text messages sent on behalf of the UK GSM Network operators. These figures are announced in the third week of the following month. For further information visit the MDA website at www.mda-mobiledata.org or the Text It Campaign web site at www.text.it
- Mike Short, MDA Chairman is available for comment.
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For further information or to arrange an interview please contact Mark Hawkins at the MDA Press Office :
Tel: +44 (0) 7949 023795
email: mark.hawkins@themda.org
www.text.it |
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