12.12.15

SMS and Data

One factor impacting SMS usage is the increase in smartphones and hence greater use of Internet-based messaging alternatives. A chart from the Irish electronic communications regulator illustrates this tendency showing SMS volumes declining while data usage is rising rapidly.
Comreg, Irish Communications Market [Click to enlarge]
Similarly the Luxembourg Institute of Regulation (ILR) shows voice, text and data traffic generated over the country's mobile networks, with the latter growing rapidly.
ILR, Rapport statistique des télécommunications [Click to enlarge]
Despite the rapid growth of data use, SMS is still a leading activity for cellphones, even smartphones. A survey of smartphone owners across 8 countries published by OFCOM, the electronic communications regulator in the UK, found that SMS was the most popular use, except in Japan, Germany and Spain. In Japan, SMS has never caught on with users preferring email while in Germany and Spain, high prices for SMS has discouraged use.
OFCOM, International Communications Market Report 2015 [Click to enlarge]

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