Commentary
Internet Use on Mobile Phones More Prevalent in Europe
- by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, November 14, 2006
comScore Networks recently released the inaugural findings of the Mobile Tracking Study, which reveals that 29 percent of European Internet users within France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK regularly access the Web from their mobile phones compared to only 19 percent in the U.S..
Of the countries examined, the highest mobile Web penetration is seen in both Germany and Italy.
Mobile Internet Penetration by Country, September 2006 | ||||||
Persons 15+ (from Home and Work (X000) | ||||||
U.S. | France | Germany | Italy | Spain | UK | |
152,698 | 23,980 | 32,085 | 17,389 | 12,281 | 29,589 | |
% Online Population Accessing Web from Mobile Phone | ||||||
19% | 28% | 34% | 34% | 26% | 24% | |
Source: comScore Networks Mobile Tracking Study, October 2006 | ||||||
The Study also shows than men are somewhat more likely to access the Web from their mobile phones than women. Across all six countries, although the Internet penetration is split evenly between men and women, 55 percent of those who access the Web from their mobile phones are men.
The study found Nokia to be the leading brand of phone for those who regularly access the mobile Web across five of the six countries examined, capturing share ranging from 50 percent in Italy to 22 percent in France. Only in the U.S., where Motorola has the greatest share (26 percent), is Nokia pushed into second place, with a 17 percent share.
Mobile Internet Share of Market by Brand Penetration(September 2006) | ||||||
Phone Brand | U.S. | France | Germany | Italy | Spain | UK |
Nokia | 17% | 22% | 32% | 50% | 39% | 39% |
Motorola | 26% | 13% | 22% | 18% | 14% | 14% |
Samsung | 10% | 21% | 8% | 8% | 17% | 17% |
Sony Ericsson | 6% | 14% | 12% | 5% | 11% | 13% |
Other | 41% | 30% | 27% | 19% | 20% | 17% |
Source: comScore Networks Mobile Tracking Study, October 2006 | ||||||
The study determined that the major online portal sites represent the most popular online destinations among mobile Web surfers, with Google, Yahoo! and MSN leading the way. However, the mobile Web sites set up by the phone operators are also proving attractive to mobile Web surfers, particularly in Europe.
Mobile Internet Penetration, Most Popular Sites(September 2006) | ||||||
Site Category | U.S | France | Germany | Italy | Spain | UK |
Online Portal | 74% | 24% | 29% | 34% | 28% | 31% |
Operator Portal | 5% | 26% | 25% | 18% | 25% | 31% |
Specific Mobile Site | 0% | 17% | 17% | 23% | 4% | 0% |
Commerce Site | 4% | 2% | 8% | 7% | 6% | 8% |
News Site | 2% | 10% | 0 | 11% | 2% | 9% |
Other | 15% | 22% | 21% | 8% | 35% | 21% |
Source: comScore Networks Mobile Tracking Study, October 2006 | ||||||
Bob Ivins, managing director of comScore Europe, says "Three-quarters of American mobile Web surfers access content from the leading online portals such as Google, Yahoo! and MSN compared to only thirty percent of Europeans. In Europe, the mobile Internet appears to mirror the dynamics of the fixed Internet. Google remains strong but the other U.S.-based portals achieve much lower penetration, facing stiff competition from local competitors. ...the local mobile providers have the structural advantage of a degree of control over the access point and interface from the mobile phone."
The complete release below is available here.
Jack Loechner is the Editor of The Center for Media Research's daily Research Brief. You can reach him at jack@mediapost.com.