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Irish world tops for mobile Internet use

Thursday, November 01 12:11:32

Ireland is a global front runner in the adoption of mobile services to access the Internet with Irish over-50s more active bloggers and tweeters than teens, according to a new study.

Over three-quarters (77pc) of all Irish Internet users surveyed now use mobile devices of some kind, according to Mobile Web Watch 2012, an annual study of consumers in Europe, Latin America and South Africa, carried out by Accenture.

In addition, consumers are using multiple devices to connect to the web, including smartphones (69pc), netbooks (37pc), and tablets (28pc).

The study found that Ireland, South Africa and Brazil are the front-runners in the adoption of mobile devices to access the Internet, while users in France, Germany and Finland had the lowest uptake.

It also reveals that connecting with other users is the most important activity among mobile Internet users.

Surprisingly, Irish people over 50 are more active on mobile blogging, accessing online communities or Twitter (86pc) than those aged 14-19 (77pc) - the reverse of behaviour in other countries surveyed.

Sending or receiving e-mails through an installed programme is the most popular feature among Irish respondents (73pc), followed by accessing online communities (63pc).

Among Irish respondents, 29pc use their mobile device for Tweeting and blogging.

Fifty-threepc - higher than the survey average of 46pc - use mobile devices to conduct banking transactions.

Two-thirds (66pc) of Irish respondents accessed the Web on a smartphone for personal matters but significantly, one in five (21pc) also did so for work-related activities.

Mobile Internet usage in Ireland is greatest among the younger population, with highest usage in the 14-29 age group at 84pc - versus 60pc for those over 50, although still higher than the survey average of 45pc.

Almost equal numbers of Irish men (78pc) and women (76pc) accessed the Internet on a mobile device, the narrowest gender gap among the 13 countries surveyed.

Fortypc of Irish respondents accessed the Internet through a TV and 34pc through a gaming console.

A growing ecosystem of mobile apps is fuelling the rapid growth of the mobile Internet, providing consumers easy access to services they consider important.

Sixty-ninepc of Irish mobile Internet users have downloaded programmes or apps to their mobile devices.

Information apps, such as train schedules, the weather, or news are the most popular, according to over three-quarters (81pc) of Irish survey respondents, followed closely by entertainment apps (71pc).

"The growth in use of mobile devices to access the Internet and the emergence of the hyper connected Irish consumer, in conjunction with a willingness to pay for mobile services such as cloud or premium services, is opening up a host of opportunities, as well as challenges for service providers, not only in the communications, media and technology industries, but in more traditional sectors such as banking and retail, too," said Cathal Quigley, Senior Executive Leading the Communications, Media and Technology Practice at Accenture.

"Companies will need to continuously upgrade their infrastructure to keep pace with consumer demands for increasing bandwidth, speed and security and collaborate and form partnerships across the value chain of the communications, media and technology industries."