TXT Around the World

I saw a report in IEEE Spectrum about the tremendous increase in text messaging around the world. In 2007 there was a total of 1.7 trillion text messages by 3.3 billion cell phone users. The data shows China in the lead with 456 billion text messages. However the Philippines is the text messaging capital of the world with 1707 text messages per person in 2007. The world-wide revenue for text messaging in 2007 was US$100 billion, more than revenue from movies, music or games. And a company in the Netherlands, Acision handles an amazing 2/3 of the world's text messages each year via systems and services provided to global communication companies. As a side note this company also handled the system for 60 million voters on American Idol.

On the local scene Sasktel, in justification for a texting rate increase, says that their network handles 8.5 million text messages sent and received in Saskatchewan per day. Somebody out there is doing a whole lot of texting!