SMS is about to become obsolete? Sonera: Christmas SMS volume fell 22%

If the answer is yes, for telecom operators is not good news.

However, Finland, Australia, Hong Kong operators must accept this reality. Christmas Eve in 2011, these three countries and regions, SMS usage has fallen markedly.

Finland. According to Finnish telecom operator Sonera statistical data, people in the Christmas Eve message sent 8.5 million, compared with last year's 10.9 million decreased 2.4 million, a decline of 22%. And another operator for young users DNA, is also experiencing this decline - 5.6 million text messages sent this year than last year's 5.9 million less 30 million. BTW, the Finnish population is 540 million.

Australia. According to an independent blog author Richard Blundell integrated data telecommunications operator Telstra, Telstra's network to send text messages within the Australian passion also decay in 2010, sending 881 per person in 2011 this figure dropped to 810.

In fact, according to Telstra's data, from 2006 to 2010, sending text messages has been growing, and in 2010 began to turn downhill. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data, data usage surge in 2011, a year ago, only a single mobile data traffic throughout the year more than 400 M, 2011 annual average flow rate of each mobile phone use 1.6G, an increase of 3 times.

SMS decline, increased data traffic, because people are increasingly turning to Facebook, Twitter, BBM or iMessage and other tools to communicate. Such as voice intercom application Talkbox very popular in Hong Kong has become a way of eroding SMS users (students reply comments area: Whatsapp the most popular, Talkbox at the back). Christmas this year, Hong Kong, the number of China mobile phones users send text messages dropped by about 14%, down from 29.92 million 21.62 million. Hong Kong resident population of approximately 700 million people (2010 data), the average per person in 2010 to send 60 text messages in 2011, this figure dropped to 49.

The number of Americans send text messages did not decline, increased year by year. But growth is slowing, according to UBS telecom analyst John Hodulik statistical data, the first quarter of 2011, net U.S. carrier text messaging increase of only 10% lower than the first quarter of 2010, 16%. MGI analyst called this trend "SMS erosion".