U.S. Wireless Internet Access Tops the Charts

There are a lot of people out there who say the US is way behind the rest of the developed world in a number of technological measurements … that we’re #16 in this, or #23 in that… but guess what?

THE U.S. IS A WORLD LEADER IN WIRELESS INTERNET USE!!!

At least that’s what Nielsen Mobile says in a report just released. Nielson says that we’re at about 16% penetration, or that about 40 million wireless subscribers used the mobile internet at least once a month. The report also discusses adoption rates and use of the mobile internet in different countries, emerging business opportunities, consumers’ costs, different devices, and a whole slew of related subjects. But here are some of the numbers of interest:

- According to Nielson’s research, there were more than 140 million wireless data users as of 1Q08.
- 95 million users paid to access the mobile internet, either as part of  a subscription or on a per use basis as of 1Q08
- More users are using greater amounts of wireless data.  The percentage of users with “all you can eat” data plans grew by 40% between 1Q07 and 1Q08

Of the 16 countries Nielsen routinely tracks, the report’s benchmarking of other countries’ use shows the U.S. as a world leader in mobile internet use. For example, the UK is at 12.9% penetration, Italy-11.9%, France-9.6%, Germany-7.4%, and China- 6.8%--- all well behind the nearly 16% penetration cited in the U.S.  So often – too often – we hear the US is a laggard in the global broadband/internet use debate.  I don’t expect the ‘glass half empties’ to go away or stop their hand wringing, but the independent study should reassure us that the US mobile sky is not falling, and is indeed rising. 

Nielson’s look at a growing mobile internet is consistent with other findings.  From June 2006 to June 2007, about 70% of all new broadband lines in the US were wireless subscriptions.  In fact, according to the FCC’s most recent data, wireless has a 35% share of total broadband lines.

It’s clear that the mobile internet is growing, especially here in the United States. And as the larger mobile ecosystem evolves, the importance of, and reliance on the mobile internet will only increase.  What we are seeing now is only the beginning of the next phase of communications, and it’s apparent that Americans like what wireless technology is delivering.