Mobile Web Audience Already One-Fifth the Size of PC-Based Internet Audience in the U.K.

Early Adopters of Mobile Internet Tend to be Males and Under the Age of 35 According to Comscore and Telephia

LONDON, U.K., MAY 14, 2007 – Telephia and Comscore today announced the results of their latest study of mobile vs. PC-based Internet usage. The study reveals that 5.7 million people in the U.K. used a mobile device to access the Web during January 2007 compared to the 30 million people age 15 or older who accessed the Web from a PC (either a home or a work machine). At 19 percent of the PC-based Internet audience, the U.K. Mobile Web market is similarly developed on a relative basis to the U.S. Mobile Web market, where 30 million (or 19 percent) of the 159 million U.S. PC Web users of a comparable age accessed the Web from a mobile device during the same month.

The Telephia and Comscore research, MobileWeb Metrix, reveals that U.K. Mobile Web users under 35 years of age account for 67 percent of the entire Mobile Web audience in the U.K., whereas the same age segment accounts for 39 percent of the PC-based Internet audience. Research findings in the U.S. show that those under 35 account for 46 percent of the Mobile Web audience and 36.5 percent of the PC-based Internet audience.

Gender is also an influencing factor. The study reveals that 63 percent of Mobile Web users in the U.K. are male, compared to 54 percent of PC Internet users. In the U.S., 60 percent of Mobile Web users are male versus 49 percent of PC Internet users.

“Similar to the Internet 10-15 years ago, men under the age of 35 are the early adopters of new technology and more likely to use mobile devices to access the Mobile Web than women or men aged over 35, ” commented Bob Ivins, managing director of Comscore Europe.

Table 1

*Mobile to PC User Index is defined as the percentage of Mobile Web users in each age bracket divided by the percentage of PC-based Internet users in the same age bracket. Differences in reach % may not be statistically significant.

“The Mobile Web is at an early state of development, but we expect Mobile Web usage to grow as phone performance improves, sites optimise their content for the small screen and operators fine tune their tariffs, enabling consumers to take full advantage of mobile phone capabilities, content and convenience,” Ivins continued,

Comscore and Telephia also revealed the leading sites on the Mobile Web in both the U.K. and the U.S., ranked by unique visitors. Popular PC Internet sites Yahoo!, MSN and Google all featured in the ranking of leading sites on both sides of the Atlantic. BBC and SKY were the leading sites for U.K. Mobile Web users in January, attracting 2.3 million and 1.2 million unique visitors, respectively (see Table 2).

Table 2

*Does not include operator landing sites such as O2 Active
**Mobile to PC Reach Index for a brand is defined as the brand’s reach among Mobile Web users divided by its reach among PC-based internet users. Differences in reach % may not be statistically significant.
***May not include all sites owned by a brand

Table 3

*Does not include operator landing sites
**Mobile to PC Reach Index for a brand is defined as the brand’s reach among mobile Web users divided by its reach among PC-based internet users. Differences in reach % may not be statistically significant.
***May not include all sites owned by a brand

The Weather Channel and AOL represented additional leading sites among U.S. Mobile Web users in January, with 6.6 million and 6.0 million unique visitors, respectively (see Table 3). The Weather Channel in the U.S. has a greater reach via the Mobile Web than it does via PC-based Internet, highlighting how the success of sites that provide content for people on the move by optimizing their content for the small screen.

“The advantage that weather, sports and news sites have over other Mobile Web sites is that they provide up-to-date information that consumers need quickly, anytime and anywhere,” said Kanishka Agarwal, Vice President Mobile Media at Telephia. “As a result, they are being forced to become user-friendly during the early stages of the Mobile Web, or face the risk that competitors could steal a march on them.”

About Comscore
Comscore, Inc. is a global leader in measuring the digital world. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given Comscore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behaviour, including online and offline purchasing. Comscore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Through its proprietary technology, Comscore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of behaviour and attitudes. Comscore consultants apply this deep knowledge of customers and competitors to help clients design powerful marketing strategies and tactics that deliver superior ROI. Comscore services are used by more than 700 clients, including global leaders such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Verizon, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Tribune Interactive, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestlé, MBNA, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, Merck and Expedia. For more information, please visit www.comscore.com.

About Telephia

Telephia is the world's largest provider of syndicated consumer research to the telecom and mobile media markets. Telephia is your connection to the digital consumer. Since 1998, executives at service providers, device manufacturers, content providers, and retailers have relied on Telephia data to make confident competitive strategy, marketing and resource allocation decisions. Telephia uses its unique measurement tools and large-scale consumer panels to completely understand the digital consumer's behavior, attitudes and experience. To learn how Telephia data can help you understand the digital consumer and track your competitive performance, please contact us at (415) 395-0500 or www.telephia.com.

Press
Bill Daddi
Daddi Brand Communications
646-370-1341
press@comscore.com