According to the results of the latest semi-annual survey from CTIA, the Wireless Association, the wireless industry continues to enjoy growth while having a positive economic impact on the U.S. For example, the survey reported more than 285 million wireless connections as of December 2009 for a year-over-year increase of 15 million.

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Wireless data service revenues increased 25.7% from the second half of 2008 to reach more than $22 billion for the second half of 2009. Wireless data revenues, which represent what consumers spend on non-voice services, were more than 28% of all wireless service revenues. 

Also, there are now more than 257 million data-capable devices in the hands of consumers, which is an increase over 2008’s total of 228 million. Based on the survey, 50 million of these devices are smart phones or wireless-enabled PDAs, and nearly 12 million are wireless-enabled laptops, notebooks, or aircards.

Text messaging continues to be enormously popular, with more than 822 billion text messages sent and received on carriers’ networks during the second half of 2009, amounting to almost 5 billion messages per day by the end of the year. During all of 2009, more than 1.5 trillion text messages were reported on carriers’ networks.

Wireless subscribers also are sending more pictures and other multimedia messages, with more than 24.2 billion MMS messages reported for the second half of 2009. That’s more than double the number of the previous year, when only 9.3 billion were reported for the second half of 2008. 

“With wireless connections now equal to more than 91% of the U.S. population, mobile broadband is pivotal to ensuring all Americans are ‘digitally literate,’” said Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA. “Mobile broadband will increasingly play a vital role in people’s lives.”

Additionally, the survey said that wireless customers used more than 1.12 trillion minutes in the second half of 2009, which is up 38 billion from the second half of 2009 and breaks down to 6.1 billion minutes of use per day. Wireless service revenues for the second half of 2009 totaled almost $77 billion, while the second half of 2008 saw $75 billion.

For more information about the survey, go to www.ctia.org/advocacy/research/index.cfm/AID/10316.

CTIA