A survey published today by CCS Insight reveals that while a significant
proportion of young Europeans now access the Internet from their mobile
phones on a frequent, often daily, basis, most of them ignore the
services offered by mobile phone companies in favour of more-familiar
names from the Web. While the research suggests ways for network
operators and phone-makers to maximise uptake of the mobile Internet,
results indicate many of these opportunities are being overlooked.
Key findings of the survey include:
Up to a quarter of young people now access the mobile Internet every
day
Mobile operator portals and services such as Nokia's Ovi are losing
out to familiar Web brands like Facebook, Amazon and Twitter
The success of local-language networking sites shows there is life
beyond Facebook. Around half of mobile social network users in Germany
access StudiVZ on their mobile phone; 62 percent in Spain access Tuenti
About two-thirds of Italian and Spanish women under 36 have never
accessed the Internet on their mobile phones, partly because mobile
operators are failing to deliver services that appeal to this untapped
market
Increasing use of phones to access social networks coupled with demand
for mobile gaming creates an opportunity for a new mobile social
gaming phenomenon
As multiple e-book readers descend on Europe, mobile phones are still
have a role as the preferred way to access e-publications
Martin Garner, Director of Mobile Internet at CCS Insight and one of the
report's authors, said: “Our survey reveals the true picture of mobile
Internet usage among young consumers in Europe's top five markets. It
shows that as smartphones become more affordable, people are using them
to access the sites they know and love on their PCs. Mobile network
operators and handset manufacturers are losing the battle to define the
mobile Internet experience, despite the huge sums they're pouring into
sites that compete with the familiar Web names." On the eve of the
industry’s biggest gathering in Barcelona for Mobile World Congress, CCS
Insight's report highlights some key lessons still to be learned.
While the survey shows that over 60 percent of mobile Internet users in
Europe's five largest markets prefer to ignore specifically tailored
portals from mobile operators, it does reveal that mobile phones have a
role to play in other current consumer trends. For example, in Italy,
over 40 percent of young people who expressed an interest in
e-newspapers said they would only read them on their phone. This finding
and data from other countries in the survey suggest that despite
excitement around the launch of several e-book readers, the mobile phone
is still the device of choice for many consumers accessing multimedia
content.
The report also found that although many young people are reluctant to
pay for music or video downloads on mobile phones, 39 percent do pay for
mobile games, and a further 19 percent of respondents would be willing
to. Combined with the popularity of social networking sites for mobile
Internet users, this suggests a big opportunity to drive mobile Internet
traffic through popular social gaming applications.
In contrast to the general reluctance to access networks' mobile
Internet portals, over half of all mobile Internet users surveyed said
they access Facebook on their phone and 10 percent access Twitter. The
most popular mobile Internet application is e-mail with 61 percent of
young mobile Internet users in Europe's top five markets accessing
e-mail on the move.
Paolo Pescatore, Director of Operator Strategy at CCS Insight and
co-author of the report, commented "Despite the warnings for the mobile
industry, the opportunities are there. Network operators, phone-makers
and media companies need to focus less on what they want to sell and
more on what consumers want to access on their mobile phones. The
alternative will be to sit back and watch the large Web brands continue
to define the future of the mobile Internet."
The CCS Insight report, Mobile Internet Usage in Europe, 2009 by
Martin Garner and Paolo Pescatore, is available for purchase through www.ccsinsight.com.
Notes to Editors
CCS Insight
CCS Insight is a top mobile industry analyst firm. The company provides
a blend of timely and authoritative market information, analysis and
intelligence for companies around the world who are focused on the
wireless and mobile sector.
CCS Insight has a global team of expert analysts, with offices in the US
and Europe. It has earned a reputation for unparalleled knowledge and
understanding of the communications market, and an ability to synthesise
information and predict market movements and developments. For more
information, visit www.ccsinsight.com
Mobile Internet Usage in Europe, 2009
The survey was conducted among a sample of 5,000 mobile phone owners
aged 16 to 35 in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. The field
work was completed in December 2009.
Harvard PR
Gareth Williams
T: +44 7554114882
gareth.williams@harvard.co.uk