Thursday, February 25, 2010

U.S cellphone data shows more texting than web browsing

Research released by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and reported in Silicon Valley Insider notes that while 86% of Americans now own cellphones*, accessing the mobile internet on them is far less common than sending pictures or text messaging. Only 28% access web pages (it goes up to 48% for 18-29 year olds) and 20% download apps. Older cellphone owners 50 - 64 use text messaging (51%) far more than mobile web (15%).

This is an important consideration for magazines considering major investments in creating mobile-enabled versions of their publications. Looked at another way, there's lots of room for growth, though web-access seems more likely on netbooks and tablets than on the teeny screens of cellphones.

 *About 70% of Canadians 16-60 own cellphones, well down the league tables and lowest among G8 countries and comparable with Vietnam and Mexico. [TSN Canadian Facts] (This couldn't have anything to do with the Canadian pricing of cellphone service and texting, could it...?)
 

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1 Comments:

Anonymous Debbie said...

I would really like to see this study repeated yearly.

I think the significant piece of data here is the 48% of 18 - 29 year-olds who are accessing web browsing. And, I suppose they could not survey those younger than 18 - the group that no longer reads email and catches up with their friends and gathers information via facebook status updates and twitter posts.

3:06 pm  

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