Just 24% of UK mobile users browse online: survey

Just 24% of UK mobile phone users use their handsets to access the internet, with 60% claiming to not own a phone capable of going online, a survey has revealed.

The study, conducted by Essential Research, also found that one third of smartphone users have never used their phones to access the internet, and 8% have tried but don't intend to do so again.
 
Essential research partner Alex Charlton said the survey revealed that “there is an enormous gulf between the perceptions we hold about mobiles being a big part of our internet lives and the reality.
 
“In fact only a small percentage of us are truly internet mobile users and the industry has a big job to do to move mobile internet into our everyday lives.” 
 
Factors such as speed of connection, the cost of bandwidth and handset battery life have served to limit adoption of mobile browsing.
 
Among the reticent respondents, the tracking of in-store offers and the ability to check travel and traffic updates in real-time were seen as the services most likely to persuade them to go online via their phones.
 
And 70% of daily mobile browsers use social media tools, such as IM and social networking services, on their phones.
 
Demand for mobile TV and radio is strong, with 86% of mobile internet users and 56% of non-mobile internet users stating that they would be open to using such services.