Mobile Internet Use Increases Sharply in 2009

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 56% of adult Americans have accessed the Internet by wireless means (laptop, mobile device, game console, MP3 player, etc). The most prevalent way people get online using a wireless network is with a laptop computer, with 39% of adults having done so.

The report also found rising levels of Americans using the Internet on a mobile handset. One-third of Americans (32%) have used a cell phone or Smartphone to access the Internet for e-mailing, instant-messaging, or information-seeking. This level of mobile Internet is up by one-third since December 2007, when 24% of Americans had ever used the Internet on a mobile device. On the typical day, nearly one-fifth (19%) of Americans use the Internet on a mobile device, up substantially from the 11% level recorded in December 2007. That’s a growth of 73% in the 16 months between surveys!

The report also found a growth in a broader measure of mobile engagement, as more Americans in 2009 were turning to their handheld for non-voice data activities. The activities probed were: sending or receiving text messages, taking a picture, playing a game, checking e-mail, accessing the Internet, recording video, instant messaging, playing music, getting maps or directions, or watching video.

For more on the findings, check out Mobile Internet use increases sharply in 2009 as more than half of all Americans have gotten online by some wireless means.