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Are half of mobile’s online?

Started by Ewan · 11 months ago

How often do you check the web from your mobile?  What stops you?

According to new research by ICM Research and the London School of Economics (LSE) has suggested that nearly half of the UK mobile phone owners are checking it daily.  45 per cent (albeit the study doesn’t say of how many) check it daily [...] ... Continue reading »

8 comments

  • David Carrington

    11 months ago

    I think one of the biggest factors in mobile access is the phones that people have. I personally use Windows Mobile devices and I've always loved using wifi and mobile internet. I know 3 people with a Nokia N95, 2 of those use the internet regularly.

    Apart from managers with Blackberries accessing their e-mails, I don't know anyone else that uses the internet on their phone.
    reply
  • Mark Thomas

    11 months ago

    I use the web on my N95 everyday - I use google reader on the S60 browser and also use Facebook/slashdot/twitter.

    Its great now orange have this "unlimited" web browsing across most tariffs.

    Geek and proud.

    Thanks

    Mark
    reply
  • LeilR

    11 months ago

    Web surfing using mobile phone is very useful for those who can't live without checking their emails or logging on to their social network profiles. Either for entertainment or for business, one fact still remains…surfing using handy phones can be very costly.
    reply
  • TerenceEden

    11 months ago

    Are half of mobile's online what? How does the online belong to the mobile?
    /eats-shoots-and-leaves
    reply
  • Stark Ravin

    11 months ago

    Hi,

    Commenting from the US of A here. I thought you Brits were supposed to be so far ahead of us Yanks when it came to all things mobile. This sounds like a post from the year 2000 or something. You are telling me that a mobile blogger in the UK accesses the web on his phone "only in an emergency"? WTF?

    A lot of folks here in America access the network (WAP, Internet, whatever; depending upon their built in browser app) from their phones all the time. They download apps, check news/weather/sports, etc. etc. Many have iPhones where they surf the net a LOT using the mobile Safari browser. Not to mention other smartphones that provide decent browsers, RSS readers, etc.

    How could this post even be written? Especially on this great mobile website? Who the hell is Ewan hiring these days? It's 2008 for Christ's sake. What cave have you people been living in?
    reply
  • Ricky Chotai

    11 months ago

    Slightly a harsh comment in my opinion. As one of the columnist here at smstextnews, I very rarely use the mobile net. The reason I hear you ask, is that as I am a student I always have net access. Therefore there is no reason why i need it. A LOT of normobs in the UK simply do not use mobile data and the reason on some of the networks is cost. As you know I follow the UK ad-funded network Blyk and they have no inclusive data and data is £1 per a megabyte, why would I pay that when I have no REAL need for it.
    reply
  • James Whatley

    11 months ago

    That's all well and good Stark - and to be honest - I'm not a big fan of these stats, I don't think they're that insightful...

    However this piece starts with the words: "According to new research..."

    Whereas your argument is: "A lot of folks here in America..."

    Do you have any hard facts & figures to back that up?
    Or is just gut-feeling/observation?

    Would love to know.

    Cheers.
    reply
  • starkravin

    11 months ago

    Gents,

    My apologies if I offended, but the whole notion underlying the posting (that Brits rarely go online with their mobiles) stunned me, because the general consensus is that you Western Europeans are so far ahead of us Yanks in all things mobile data. I guess that's wrong.

    Per James W.'s request, here is some data (much of it global) from Nielsen Mobile (http://www.telephia.com/) showing mobile internet usage:

    http://venturebeat.com/2008/07/24/mobilebeat-20...

    In terms of subscribers to mobile internet access plans, our overall population appears to be a couple points ahead of the UK in terms of percentage penetration. I think these charts are addressing purely Internet access on the device (meaning mobile web browsing) and not other mobile network services you could classify as mobile data, like texting, shortcodes, ringtone downloads, etc.

    So while I suppose we are ahead of you guys by a little, I still thought your intensity of usage was greater than ours. I suppose this notion only applies to texting...?

    As to rickyc's notion of "I have cheaper net access elsewhere, so why use it on my mobile", I only point him to Ewan's recent rant about the "mobile Hell hole" we are living in. Until we get a real platform for innovation (and my bet is that it is the iPhone), bright minds are never going to get the chance to delight us with compelling new services that impel us to purchase a mobile Internet access plan. Even if it is expensive, we'd be delighted to pay it if the services requiring it delivered value.
    reply

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