SMS fireworks in Telia’s mobile network: 17 million messages – new SMS record set for New Year holidays in Sweden

The New Year holidays resulted in a fireworks of SMS messaging in Telia’s mobile network, with New Year’s celebrants in Sweden sending slightly more than 17 million SMS messages, of which as many as 10 million on New Year’s Eve. This is a new SMS record and an increase of 54 percent over last year. The statistics also indicate where Swedes have family and friends in other countries.

Sending New Year wishes to family and friends during the New Year holidays is becoming more and more popular. In Telia’s mobile network last year, 11 million SMS messages were sent during the New Year holidays, of which 6.7 million on New Year’s Eve.

Norway – Vatican State: 68,546 to 1
The country receiving the most SMS messages from Sweden was Norway, followed by Finland and the United Kingdom. During the same holiday period, the Cook Islands and Vatican State were among the countries receiving only 1 SMS message each from Sweden, placing them at the bottom of the SMS list.

“The trend during the Christmas and New Year holidays has been clear: we are using our mobile phones for more and more purposes. In addition to the SMS record, MMS postcards also made a real breakthrough during 2006,” says Håkan Dahlström, head of Mobile Services in Sweden at TeliaSonera.

Tables included in the attached Pdf

For further information journalists can contact:
TeliaSonera Sweden’s Press Office, +46 (0)8 713 58 30