Ben Cook Regains World Record for Text Messaging in Portland

PORTLAND – December 26, 2006 – The American record holder for text messaging, 18-year-old Ben Cook, regained his title as World’s Fastest Text Messager by shattering the world record by more than half a second. Cook, who set the new record during a contest celebrating Cricket’s launch in Portland, regained his title just one month after he lost it to a Singaporean teenager.

Cook regained his title December 19 by taking just 41.00 seconds to type the Guinness Book of World Records’ standardized message “The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human.” The previous record of 41.52 seconds was set by 16-year-old Ang Chuang Yang on November 12.

Cook as set the world record for fastest text messaging three times. The competition in which he set the newest record was sponsored by Cricket, which launched its unlimited wireless service in Portland on December 12.

“Cricket has flat-rate plans that include unlimited text messages, a valuable feature for anyone who likes to send messages via cell phone,” said Neil Grubb, President and CEO of Cricket LCW, the joint venture bringing Cricket service to Portland. “Not everyone can send messages as quickly as Ben, but text messaging is an increasingly important aspect for today’s wireless customers.”

With unlimited text messaging every month, 63 percent of Cricket’s customers send at least one text message per day. Among that 63 percent, the average is 10 text messages per day. All told, research by the Yankee Group indicates that more than 95 million Americans are considered active text messagers.

About Cricket® Service
Cricket® service is a simple, affordable mobile phone service offering consumers and local businesses a flat-rate, unlimited service over a high-quality, all-digital wireless network. Designed for customers under-served by traditional communications companies, Cricket service is the pioneer of unlimited minutes with no long-term commitments or credit checks required. Cricket service offers customers access to a variety of the latest handsets and feature-rich mobile applications such as unlimited text, instant and picture messaging, popular games, ringtones and wallpapers.  For more information on Cricket service visit www.mycricket.com.

About Cricket LCW
Cricket LCW is joint venture between Cricket Communications, Inc., CSM Wireless, and WLPCS Management providing Cricket wireless service in Portland, Salem, and Eugene, OR, and Vancouver, WA.