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Nov. 18, 2009

A recent consumer survey of adult U.S. mobile handset users conducted by BIA/Kelsey with research partner ConStat, suggests a rapid increase in MID (mobile Internet device) utilization for non-voice communications (text messages, email and Internet access) driven primarily by the proliferation of MIDs and smartphones.

Additional results from the survey also reveal a growing class of heavy users of non-voice services. For instance, the percentage of wireless users making more than ten mobile Internet accesses per week continues to grow significantly, now representing 23.2 percent of all mobile users.

Among mobile phone users, a little less than 49.1 percent sent or received more than ten text messages per week, 21 percent had more than ten Internet accesses per week and almost 20.2 percent sent or received more than ten e-mails a week.

Mobile Market View also indicates the utilization of mobile devices for commercial searches also increased across the board this year.

Of particular interest, searches for local products or services now exceed out-of-market searches by a wide margin.

In addition to consumer smartphone adoption, recent developments in the wireless marketplace such as mobile-optimized websites, the rapid evolution and implementation of Google's Android mobile operating system and its planned acquisition of mobile ad network AdMob, will surely drive mobile Internet use and advertising growth even more, experts say.

Among mobile consumers surveyed last month, a little less than 18.6 percent searched the Internet for products or services in their local area, up from 15.6 percent last year.

And about 16.8 percent of users connected with a social network such as MySpace or Facebook, up from 9.6 percent last year.

"Clearly, Google is very much interested in replicating its online dominance by positioning itself at the mobile OS level, and around the content that users increasingly consume on smartphones," said Michael Boland, program director, Mobile Local Media at BIA/Kelsey.

Boland added "its brand affinity among users and one-stop-shop approach for advertisers will accelerate the shift of dollars spent on mobile advertising well into 2010."

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Source: Constat.