Exam Results Boost July’s Text Message Total

Over 50 million text messages were sent each day during the A-Level and GCSE results period, between the 15th and 22nd August, according to figures released by the Mobile Data Association.

The exam-results period saw a 10% increase in the number of text messages sent daily and the figures show that person-to person text messaging reached 1.35 billion in July, compared to the 992 million texts sent in July 2001.

July’s total brings the total text messages sent this year to over 9 billion, the MDA has predicted a yearly target for text messages of 16 billion, accounting for the seasonal summer slowdown.

Last month text message figures were boosted by the popularity of Big Brother 3, with more than 11 million people casting eviction votes during the first six weeks of the show (see Big Brother 3 Boosts June’s Text Message Total)

The number of SMS advertising and promotional campaigns is also on the rise, Flytxt recently launched a new celebrity gossip service with Emap’s Sneak magazine(see Sneak Extends SMS Offering To Boost Revenue). According to Flytxt, SMS penetration levels can be as high as 80% for a teenage audience, with the average teenager sending between 10 and 20 text messages each day.

Mobile Data Association: 01922 419 600 www.mda-mobiledata.org.uk

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