It’s quite surprising, but yes, this is for the very first time that the number of text messages sent in the UK in 2013 has fallen.
Accounting and advisory firm Deloitte’s latest prediction reports revealed that increased usage of instant messaging services like WhatsApp and Snapchat for communicating with friends and relatives have led to this fall in text messages.
The research report claims that as compared to 152 billion text messages sent in 2012, around 145 billion SMS were sent in 2013 in the UK. The report expects the situation to continue, with the number of text messages falling to near about 140 billion in 2014.
With more and more instant messaging apps on the rise, Deloitte’s report claims that more than 160 billion instant messages were sent in the UK last year as compared to 57 million messages sent in 2012. The number is expected to reach a whopping 300 billion mark this year.
Head of telecoms research at Deloitte, Paul Lee, said that this is the first time that number of text messages have declined since it was invented.
Lee said “We have reached a tipping point. But the usage of mobile phone to send messages is stronger than ever. This year, trillions of instant messages will be sent in place of a text message”, notes The Guardian.
Although instant messaging apps have won the volume battle, it’s definitely text messaging winning in terms of revenue. Text messages are expected to generate more than £60 billion this year, almost equal to 50 times the total revenues from all instant messaging services.
