The teen market in the U.S. has typically been among the fastest growing in the wireless industry and by the age of 17 at least 91 percent of girls and 78 percent of boys own a mobile phone, according to a new study from Multimedia Intelligence. That market's now reaching a point of saturation, so the firm looked into key ages where cellphone ownership appeared to surge or slow down. (Release.)

Some interesting findings from the survey that reached 2,000 to 2,500 teens:
-- At age 13 there's little gap in cellphone ownership between genders with 57 percent of all teenagers having a cellphone.
-- Strong ownership gains are seen among teen boys at age 13 and 16. In 2006, 13-year-old boys accounted for one million subscribers, 40 percent higher than 12-year-old boys. At 16, boys accounted for 1.6 million subscribers in 2007, almost 30 percent higher than 15-year-olds.
-- The difference between 16-year-old and 15-year-old girls was only 6 percent, by comparison.
-- Hispanic teens are projected to be one of the strongest growth areas for new subscribers, a segment that should approach 3 million by 2012.

"The teen market is an especially appealing market for two reasons. First, it is a primary source of new subscribers for carriers. Second, teens teach older demographic how to use their handsets, " Frank Dickson, the firm's chief research officer, wrote in the report. "However, the differences in the cellphone consumption patterns among the teen segments are remarkable and need to be noted. Targeting teens at the right age and gender is critical to maximize subscriber gains. Targeting teens at the wrong age and not considering gender will cause operators to miss the boat."

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