Ipsos Highlights Mobile Browsing Boom

Mobile phones could soon overtake PCs as the most widely used means of accessing the Internet, according to the Ipsos 'Face of the Web' study. Internet access via the mobile phone actually outpaces wireless access from a notebook PC in many of areas of the world.

The Face of the Web is Ipsos Insight's annual study of Internet trends. Internet browsing via a wireless device is showing robust growth in many global markets, with France and the UK leading growth. Internet usage via mobile phone in Japan also continues to grow rapidly, doubling from 2 people in 10 in 2003 to 4 in 10 today. Meanwhile in the US and Canada mobile phone access is flattening and wireless Internet access via notebook PC appears to be emerging as the stronger out-of-home Internet platform.

Globally, just over one quarter (28%) of mobile phone owners have browsed the Internet on a wireless handset, up slightly from 25% at the end 2004. Those aged 35 and over were the drivers for this growth, indicating its transition to a mainstream activity (younger males being the early adopters for many new consumer technologies).

Mobile phone ownership at the end of 2005 was at near saturation levels in many areas of the world - most notably in East Asia, as over 90% of all households in South Korea, Japan and urban China own at least one mobile phone. Western Europe comes second, with roughly 80% of all households owning a wireless handset. In North America, prevalence of mobile ownership is slightly less robust: in the US, three in four households and in Canada just over 60% own a mobile phone.

Brian Cruikshank, Senior VP and MD of Ipsos Insight's Technology & Communications practice, comments: Accessing the Internet on a wireless handheld device is no longer a novelty for consumers in the major global economies. It's becoming a common, everyday occurrence for many people. In the long term, many of today's PC-centric online activities could be complemented through the mobile phone or migrate to the mobile phone altogether, due to greater convenience and faster connection speeds.'

The Face of the Web 2005 study was conducted in November and December 2005 among a random sample of 6,544 adults in urban Brazil, Canada, urban China, France, Germany, urban India, Japan, urban Mexico, urban Russia, South Korea, the UK and the US. Details of the study are online at www.ipsosinsight.com/industryfocus/techandcomm/FOW.aspx

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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