Report says wireless Web surfing on rise

A study released Tuesday predicted cell phones will become the primary means of surfing the Internet in some parts of the world in the coming years.

Ipsos Insight's annual Face of the Web reported that wireless Web browsing has shown robust growth in Japan, Britain and France, although the PC remains the platform of choice in the United States and Canada.

"Accessing the Internet on a wireless handheld device is no longer a novelty for consumers in the major global economies. It's becoming a common, everyday occurrence for many people," said Ipsos Vice President Brian Cruikshank.

The report said the increase in wireless usage seems to coincide with a spurt in wireless infrastructure construction.

Still, only about 28 percent of mobile-phone users worldwide had tried wireless browsing as of the end of 2005, Ipsos said. That figure, however, is 25-percent higher than 2004 and was spurred in large part by a jump in the number of so-called older users, which the authors said indicates it is becoming more mainstream and no longer dominated by the young, tech-savvy male segment of the market.

Copyright 2006 by United Press International