Online Canadians and Wireless Telephony Research

About six in ten adult Canadian Internet users now own a mobile phone, with more than half of them using them as secondary personal phones. This is according to the latest NFO Cfgroup's annual Wireless Telephony study released earlier this week.

The research also reveals that a fifth (21%) now use their mobiles mainly for business purposes. At the same time, just 5% of online Canadians plan to cancel their landline home phone service and go wireless only, and about 12% are currently using their mobiles as their primary personal phone.

In addition, the research indicates that only 8% of online Canadians are using Web-enabled phones (mainly for e-mail) compared to just 4% of all Canadians. Lower access prices, bigger screens and more content would attract additional users of Web-enabled mobile phones, with one in four online adults expressing interest in the devices.

Videophones also appear to register some interest among online Canadians. The idea of being able to see the person one is talking to on the phone appeals to about 30% of adult Internet users, compared to 58% who say they are not interested in videophones. Another emerging wireless device, PDA mobiles, appeals to 15% of online Canadians, most of whom say they would want the device to be Web-enabled.

The study also found support for location-based mobile Web services. Popular in Japan and some European countries, but not yet available in Canada, a majority of online Canadians would be interested in receiving driving directions, weather reports and traffic updates through their mobiles.

'Cellphone ownership is higher among those who use the Internet than those who do not. For a good indication of the market potential of new wireless devices, surveying the online population is a good place to start,' said David Stark, public affairs director of NFO CFgroup.

The Wireless Telephony research is part of NFO CFgroup's State-of-the-Net series of studies on the Internet marketplace in Canada. In total, 986 online interviews were completed between November 10 and 20, 2001.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.