Mobile Internet Population Grows

The mobile Internet is growing, with over 34.6 million mobile users in June. That's according to the "U.S. Device Census Report for Q2 2006" from Telephia.

Of the 34.6 million mobile Web users, 6.5 million went to Yahoo Mail, a 3 percent reach of subscribers. The Weather Channel was accessed by 5.8 million (2.7 percent reach); ESPN received 5.3 million unique hits (2.5 percent reach); Google Search served 4.4 million unique visitors (2 percent reach); and MSN Hotmail got 3.4 million visitors (1.6 percent reach).

Other top sites serving the mobile audience include MapQuest with 3.1 million uniques and 1.4 percent reach; AOL Mail with 2.9 million uniques and 1.4 percent reach; CNN with 2.8 million uniques and 1.3 percent reach; Yahoo Weather with 2.7 million uniques and 1.3 percent reach; and Yahoo Search with 2.5 million uniques and 1.2 percent reach.

"Mobile Web usage has continued to grow over the past year, as Internet content providers continue to extend their reach into the mobile space," Bernard Brenner, director of mobile content at Telephia, said in a statement.

While several mobile Web browsers exist, Openwave is the dominant software for wireless users. It retains a 27 percent market share. Motorola's browser holds a 24 percent market share; Nokia offers a browser which maintains a 13 percent market share. Additional browsers grab up the remaining 34 percent of the handset market. The browsers include Access NetFront (9 percent); Teleca AU (6 percent); Sony Ericsson (5 percent); RIM (5 percent); Blazer (4 percent); Samsung (3 percent); Microsoft (3 percent); and Danger (2 percent).

Enhanced Internet browsing through xHTML-MP is enabled on 81 percent of handsets with browsers. The enhanced experience allows for an experience closer to a PC browsing experience.

"As xHTML-MP support becomes more widespread, mobile consumers will have greater access to richer presentation of content on their phones," said Brenner.

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