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U.S. Mobile Users Send 4.1B Texts Daily, Nearly Double Last Year’s Number

More than 740 billion text messages were sent in the US during the first half of 2009, a figure that breaks down to approximately 4.1 billion messages per day, according to findings from a semi-annual industry survey from CTIA-The Wireless Association.

This number is nearly double the number of texts sent during the same period last year, when 385 billion were reported in H108, the wireless-industry association said.

The survey report [pdf], which includes numerous industry statistics from H109 across all U.S. carriers, reveals that the wireless industry continues to grow, and posted six-month revenues of nearly $76 billion, up from just less than $73 million during H108, writes Marketing Charts.

The number of estimated mobile subscribers rose as well. In June 2009, CTIA said there were 276 million wireless users, a year-over-year increase of nearly 14 million over June 2008.

Wireless data revenues, which represent what consumers spend on non-voice services, accounted for more than 25% of all wireless service revenues, noting 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.

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.

“The survey results indicate that mobile broadband is an integral part of everyday life for many Americans,” said Steve Largent, President and CEO of CTIA -The Wireless Association. “The wireless ecosystem - infrastructure suppliers, service providers, device manufacturers, operating system providers, and applications developers - are simultaneously working together and competing against one another to generate valuable and unparalleled products and services for consumers.”

View charts:
Estimated subscribers
Reported wireless minutes of use

About the study: The CTIA Semi-Annual Wireless Industry Survey results were released earlier this month at the International CTIA WIRELESS IT & Entertainment 2009 conference.