Ofcom’s 2011 International Communications Market Report has revealed some interesting facts about mobile internet usage. The report states that the use of internet on mobile phones has more than doubled in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and the US since 2008.
Among these countries, mobile internet use is highest in the UK, perhaps down the to fact that some 46 per cent of consumers in the UK are using smartphones, which are designed to have more user-friendly internet applications than feature phones.
The flip side of this increase in mobile internet is the decline in good old-fashioned PC usage for web access. With major social networking sites such as FaceBook and Twitter increasing their focus on mobile friendly applications it’s no wonder that people are looking towards their smartphone for instant communication with friends rather than waiting to get to a PC.
The Ofcom report matches this idea, stating that many of the uses for mobile internet access are non browser-based, with social networking, email and casual game playing being among the most popular.
Fear not, all hope is not lost for the humble PC. Consumers mainly use mobile internet for low bandwidth activities, meaning video and TV viewing hasn’t become quite as popular on smartphones. This may be due to high data charges for mobile services compared to fixed-line broadband services, or the annoyance of trying to watch a HD nature documentary on a tiny screen.
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