Aussies switch on to mobile web

7 Aug 2012, 2:34 pm   -   Source: AAP
The number of people using mobile phones to access the web has jumped from 26 per cent to 58 per cent in three years. (AAP)

The number of people using mobile phones to access the web has jumped from 26 per cent to 58 per cent in three years. (AAP)

Australians are increasingly using mobile phones to access the internet, a report has found.

RELATED

Australians are increasingly reaching for mobile devices to access the internet, even when they're at home.

More than half of all Australians now own a smartphone, the annual Sensis e-Business Report found.

Ownership has jumped from 44 per cent in 2011 to 59 per cent in 2012.

The report's author, Christena Singh, says people are increasingly relying on being able to access the internet anywhere.

The number of people using mobile phones to access the web has jumped from 26 per cent to 58 per cent in three years.

People most commonly use their mobiles for internet access in their own homes, with 56 per cent logging on that way, despite many having home internet connections.

"Many consumers and businesses now rely on being able to access the internet 24/7 wherever they are," Ms Singh said.

Sixty-two per cent of people use their mobiles to search online for products and services, the survey found.

The top reason for logging on with mobiles is to look for maps or get directions (69 per cent).

Older Australians are also becoming more active online.

The Sensis report found 89 per cent of people aged 65 and over had accessed the internet in the past year, up from 59 per cent in 2011.

The number of older Australians who own a home computer increased from 59 per cent in 2011 to 82 per cent in 2012.

But older Australians are less likely to use phones to access the net, with only 11 per cent of people over 65 saying they use phones for that purpose.

  • Follow us: 
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Youtube