This IDC study presents a competitive analysis and summary of the data services and content types offered by the top 10 wireless carriers (based on subscriber/customer base) as well as an aggregated view of the rest of the market for 4Q07-4Q08. Standard industry operating metrics -including subscriber/customer totals, net additions, ARPU, churn, capital expenditures, service revenue, and minutes of use -for the operations of U.S. carriers are used as a framework to support IDC's evaluations and assessments of the current state of the wireless data services market. This study is a companion to and summary of IDC's 1Q08-1Q09 U.S. Wireless Data Services QView.

A strategically oriented, in-depth comparison of 1Q08 data services (SMS, MMS, IM, consumer email, and TV/video services) and content types (ringtones, graphics/wallpapers, games, and simple consumer and business applications) currently offered by AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, Alltel, U.S. Cellular, TracFone, Virgin Mobile, MetroPCS, and Leap Wireless is included. This study contains industry averages and totals by which the performance of service providers may be objectively compared. Note that this study does not forecast specific carrier market shares for 1Q09 but rather aggregates market totals.

"In 1Q08, messaging continued to grow dramatically," says Richard Murphy, analyst in IDC's Wireless and Mobile Communications group. "SMS continues to lead the way. However, as MMS and IM are offered at lower prices to consumers, they will produce more traffic and revenue."