Fastest Text Messager in America Challenges Portland Cell Phone Users

PORTLAND – December 14, 2006 – The American record holder for text messaging, 18-year-old Ben Cook, is coming to Portland courtesy of Cricket for a one-day competition to see who has the fastest fingers in the metro area. Cricket, which launched its unlimited wireless service in Portland on December 12, will host the qualifying round of its “Beat Ben” competition this Saturday in Clackamas and Hillsboro. The eight fastest qualifiers will then face off against Cook in Portland on December 19.

Cook has twice held the world record for fastest text messaging, and is currently the country’s fastest text messager. Cook set the American record by taking just 42.22 seconds to type the 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.”  Cook lost his title in November to a Singaporean teen who completed the message in 41.52 seconds, but he has every intention of regaining it, perhaps in Portland on December 19.

“Cricket has flat-rate plans that include unlimited text messages every month, a valuable feature for Portlanders who like to send notes to friends and family over their cell phones,” said Neil Grubb, President and CEO of Cricket LCW, the joint venture bringing Cricket service to Portland. “We understand not everyone wants to send text messages as quickly as Ben Cook, but Cricket definitely understands how important text messaging has become in the lives of today’s wireless customers.”

Qualifying for Cricket’s “Beat Ben” competition will take place this Saturday, December 16, at two of Cricket’s flagship stores: Clackamas Square (11400 SE 82nd Avenue) and Hillsboro Center (402 SE 9th Avenue). The four fastest text messagers from each store will put their fingers to the test against Cook on December 19, when the Beat Ben Finals will be held at Cricket’s Lloyd District Superstore (401 NE Weidler). The competition will use the standardized message referenced above, which is used by the Guinness Book of World Records.

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.