A third of mobile phone users have browsed the web via their handset

The number of mobile phones in use and the development of wireless networks are causing a rise in mobile internet access, according to a study by market research firm Ipsos Insight.

"Internet access via the mobile phone actually outpaces wireless access from a notebook PC in many of areas of the world," said an Ipsos statement accompanying its Face of the Web report.

The company's annual study of internet trends found that 28 per cent of mobile phone owners worldwide have browsed the internet on a wireless handset, up from 25 per cent at the end of 2004.

The largest growth in mobile internet use in 2005 came from users aged 35 and above.

"Surfing the internet on a mobile phone is emerging as a mainstream activity which is no longer dominated by the traditional early adopter segment of young males," said the Ipsos statement.

Pranab Mookken, senior industry analyst for ICT markets at Frost & Sullivan, suggested that the mobile internet market would only grow further as older users realised the benefits.

"While reports often say that the majority of users are not willing to try new features on handsets, that also suggests a lot of scope for growth," he said.

"The majority of people who say they will not use these features are actually those who have never tried it, and there is often a feeling of lethargy to make the shift and move from a comfortable zone into unknown territory which includes learning."

According to the study, France and the UK have the strongest growth in mobile internet browsing, while markets such as the US and Canada seem to be opting for wireless internet access using notebook PCs.

The Face of the Web 2005 study was conducted in November and December 2005. Ipsos questioned 6,544 adults in Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, the UK and the US, as well as people in urban areas in Brazil, China, India, Mexico and Russia.