Filipinos And Chinese Vie As Top Senders Of Text Messages In 2007

Manila, Philippines (AHN)-Chinese and Filipinos vie for the distinction as top senders of text messages worldwide. China's texting fans overtook Filipinos last year, sending 1.6 billion text messages daily last year, while Filipinos sent an average of 1 billion texts daily.

China has over 600 million mobile phone subscribers, which is higher than all the subscriber in the ten Southeast Asia countries. The Philippines have an estimated 50 million mobile phone subscribers as of last year.

In 2006, Filipinos sent 500 million text messages daily and 250 million in 2005, according to the National Telecommunications Commission. Filipinos are the most prolific texters in the world.

Text messaging via mobile phone is done not only by individuals for personal communication but by financial institutions and other organizations for business correspondence as well.

In fact, text messages are believed to have contributed to the ouster of former Philippine president Joseph Estrada in 2001 when Filipinos formed a so-called "text brigade."