Mobile Internet increasingly popular

Mobile Internet is increasingly becoming a part of daily life. Over one in three Internet users had access to the web through mobile devices in 2010 versus one in five in 2007. Young people most frequently access the Internet via mobile devices.

Mobile phones play important role

More than 20 percent of Internet users had access to the Internet via mobile phones versus 8 percent in 2007. This is mainly caused by the growing use of mobile phones, like smartphones with UMTS support. The use of smartphones has increased fourfold since 2007. The use of other mobile connections, e.g. GPRS, has barely changed in recent years.

Use of equipment for mobile Internet

Mainly young people use mobile devices to access the Internet

Nearly half of young people aged between 12 and 15 use mobile devices to access the Internet. The proportion of mobile Internet users in the age category 25–44 is also above average. It is far less common for older Internet users to surf the Internet using mobile equipment. The gap between young and old is even wider when it comes to mobile phones with Internet connection. Among 12 to 25-year-olds, 30 percent occasionally use mobile phones to access the Internet, as against 11 percent of 45 to 65-year-olds.

Use mobile equipment to access the Internet by age, 2010

Ger Sleijpen