The latest research has found that some 12% of German Internet users are now accessing the Internet through their mobiles, compared to 6% of Internet users in both Britain and France. Reflecting the advanced development of mobile applications in Germany, Internet users there are also far more likely to know about 3rd generation mobile phone technology. Two-thirds (67%) have heard of it, compared to France’s 34% and Britain’s 30% of Internet users.

However, NOP’s EuroNet survey does reaffirm Britons’ overall commitment to the Web. British Internet users had used the Internet an average of 12.4 times in the last week, compared to the German user’s average of 9 times and the French user’s average of 6.5 times. After search engines, the most popular sites among British users proved to be those related to shopping (47% of users), while German users favour news sites (39% of users) and the French opt for music information (34% of users).

Satisfaction with the Internet in general remains high in all three countries, highest in Germany, at 71%, marginally ahead of the British and French at 66%. At the same time, online shopping continues its onward march in all three countries, with a third of all users having shopped online in the last four weeks of December 2000. All three countries record remarkably low levels of dissatisfaction with online shopping, no higher than 6% overall.

Taken together, the EU’s three largest economies show a 39% year-on-year increase in consumer take-up of the Internet and expected rates of adoption suggest a base of 64 million users by the end of 2001 (31 million in Germany, 21 million in Britain and 12 million in France).

Carl Geraghty, Internet researcher at NOP, said, "These three major markets have seen accelerating growth in the use of the Internet, particularly among women and more mature users. With current spending on online shopping expected to at least double by the end of this year, there is clear scope for marketing of the mobile Internet to increase its focus on specific applications such as shopping and banking."