More than half (53%) of 16-to-24 year olds say they have used the mobile Internet and 36 percent say they do so at least once per week, according to a recent survey from Harris Interactive.
Within the group of 16-to-24 year olds there is a large number (47%) who have not used the mobile Internet. This could be do to lack of an enabled phone or they don’t see any benefits from using the application.
The cost and the charging structure have been cited as reasons why the mobile Internet is not yet considered mainstream. Many of the charges for this service are based around cost per megabyte making it challenging for users to gauge how much they are spending.
Pre-pay payment plans are still widely used in the UK, especially among younger consumers, although mobile operators are trying to lure more subscribers on to contracts.
Tom Perrott, Insight Director within the Harris Interactive Europe Technology Research Practice, comments, “Networks will have to work hardest among the pre-pay customers to implement a charging structure that does not hold back use, but still provides them with the much needed revenue stream to reduce their dependence on just voice and text.”
Perrot adds, “Apart from younger consumers being the earlier adopters, males also tend to take up technology sooner than females and initially are the more intensive users.” Male’s account for half the adult population in Great Britain, and 62 percent of those who have used the mobile Internet are males. Among all adults who use mobile Internet, males account for 73 percent of those who use the application at least once a week.
This survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive Europe among a total of 2,144 adults (aged 16 and over) within Great Britain between March 28th and April 2nd 2007.
