Telstra predicts record New Year texting

29 Dec 2008, 1:45 pm   -   Source: AAP
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Telstra users are expected to welcome the new year by sending up to 1,000 text messages a second, with more than 76 million predicted to be sent.

Telstra users are expected to welcome the new year by sending up to 1,000 text messages a second, with more than 76 million predicted to be sent as part of the New Year festivities.

The number would be a record for Australia's largest telco.

"Last year, we forecast 53 million text messages, but our customers sent nearly 10 million more," Telstra Consumer executive director Jenny Young in a statement.

"This year, we are expecting a 23 per cent increase on that figure."

In addition to text message traffic, Telstra also expects more than 16 million phone calls over New Year (up from last year's 14.8 million record), more than 600,000 picture messages (up 50 per cent on last year) and tens of thousands of video calls.

The company said it had already boosted mobile network capacity across the country at major event areas and popular destinations ahead of the big night.

But while record numbers of calls and texts are expected, a lot of the activity is between friends, rather than relatives, Ms Young said.

According to Telstra research, more than a third of Australian mothers miss out on being contacted by their children, and nearly four in 10 males will either not call their mum or are unsure if they will contact her to wish her Happy New Year.

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