The Growth in Mobile Internet
20/06/2009 17:10
Recent research has shown that mobile internet
usage is growing more rapidly than first thought,
and some eight times quicker than the growth of
internet access via PCs. In the second and third
quarters of last year some 7.3m people accessed
the internet via their mobile phones, this is an
increase of 25% compared to a growth of just 3%
for the PC-based audience (which currently stands
at around 35m).
Mobile internet providers have been keen to
capitalise on the possibility of mobile internet
access and have offered a number of different
rental tariffs and options to people. There has
also been a rise in particular types of handsets
which have the principal purpose of accessing the
internet rather than the traditional phone
usages.
The research found that BBC News is the most visited site for customers who use mobile internet, with nearly a quarter of all mobile internet consumers using it. Google remains the giant of desktop internet usage, but has recently taken steps to enter the mobile internet market with the launch of the HTC Magic, one of Vodafone’s exclusive mobile phones, developed by Google. It’s a significant expansion of the internet mobile phone concept, and any fans of such models should check the Vodafone website for details of the HTC, and information about this model takes things a step further.
Experts have suggested that BBC News is the most popular website for mobile internet users because it reflects the role that mobile internet plays for customers. People need fast, instant access to weather or breaking news, rather than the traditional entertainment based usage of PCs.
Unsurprisingly the mobile net audience is younger than PC based viewers, with a quarter of all mobile net users being between the ages of 15-24, this is compared to 16% of PC users in the same demographic. On the other hand, only 12% of the mobile internet audience is over 55, compared to 23% of desk-top users.
The importance of mobile internet to mobile phone providers reflects a shift from the traditional usage of mobile phones towards a more holistic approach. Whilst these figures show those who use their phone to access the internet, there are also a growing number of mobile phone providers offering internet access cards for laptops and other portable devices that allow people to access the internet on the scale of a laptop or a PC with the freedom of movement afforded by mobile internet.
Whilst the market is still developing rapidly with better network coverage, quicker access speeds, and the seemingly non-stop development of new handsets, it looks like mobile internet and mobile Internet access is here to stay.
The research found that BBC News is the most visited site for customers who use mobile internet, with nearly a quarter of all mobile internet consumers using it. Google remains the giant of desktop internet usage, but has recently taken steps to enter the mobile internet market with the launch of the HTC Magic, one of Vodafone’s exclusive mobile phones, developed by Google. It’s a significant expansion of the internet mobile phone concept, and any fans of such models should check the Vodafone website for details of the HTC, and information about this model takes things a step further.
Experts have suggested that BBC News is the most popular website for mobile internet users because it reflects the role that mobile internet plays for customers. People need fast, instant access to weather or breaking news, rather than the traditional entertainment based usage of PCs.
Unsurprisingly the mobile net audience is younger than PC based viewers, with a quarter of all mobile net users being between the ages of 15-24, this is compared to 16% of PC users in the same demographic. On the other hand, only 12% of the mobile internet audience is over 55, compared to 23% of desk-top users.
The importance of mobile internet to mobile phone providers reflects a shift from the traditional usage of mobile phones towards a more holistic approach. Whilst these figures show those who use their phone to access the internet, there are also a growing number of mobile phone providers offering internet access cards for laptops and other portable devices that allow people to access the internet on the scale of a laptop or a PC with the freedom of movement afforded by mobile internet.
Whilst the market is still developing rapidly with better network coverage, quicker access speeds, and the seemingly non-stop development of new handsets, it looks like mobile internet and mobile Internet access is here to stay.
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