Global Texting Rampant, Generates Billions In U.S. Revs

Around the world, people are increasingly using cell phones for more than talking, while social networking is popular mainly in wealthier nations, according to a new study on global technology usage.

The report from the Pew Research Center found that text messaging in particular has become a ubiquitous mobile activity across both rich countries and the developing world, with a median of 75% of cell owners texting. In fact, it’s most common in two of the poorest nations: Indonesia and Kenya. In China, 80% of mobile users text, along with about 70% on average in Western Europe and 67% in the U.S. Text messaging, however, has lately been viewed as under threat in more mature markets with the emergence of Internet-based messaging alternatives from companies such as Facebook, Apple and BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion. Juniper Research has forecast that global revenue from text messaging will peak in 2011 before trending down in coming years. For now, it’s still a big business, generating an estimated $23 billion in U.S. revenue this year. In addition to texting, many are also using their phones to take photos or record video. Half of cell owners in the 21 countries polled did so, with Japanese users the most avid at 72%. Fewer people access the Internet on mobile devices, although more than four in 10 mobile phone owners use their device to go online in Israel (47%), Japan (47%) and the United States (43%).