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 2Q08–2Q09. 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 2Q08–2Q09 U.S. Wireless Carrier Data Services QView. A strategically oriented, in-depth comparison of 2Q08 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 2Q09 but rather aggregates market totals.

"In 2Q08, data revenue continued to grow for carriers in the United States," says Richard Murphy, an analyst in IDC's Wireless and Mobile Communications group. "Data revenue now accounts for 20% of total direct service revenue. Carriers that grow their data revenue will be able to continue to compete in a volatile industry".