The study found that 72 percent of Australian mobile phone users now use SMS, with a reported 29 percent using SMS more than once per day. This compares to 2 percent in the US, and a world average of 23 percent. The take-up of WAP has not been as prolific, with only 25 percent penetration of WAP-enabled phones, and only 5 percent of people with WAP actually using it.
There were more than 100 billion SMS transactions worldwide, and this is likely to increase according to the report.
Only 19 percent of Australian users have received SMS advertising, compared to 63 percent in Korea. In Asia, SMS is also being used as a voting persuader during elections, a trend which has not taken off in Australia.
Australia was one of only four countries in the report place in the -High penetration, High growth" category.
