By the end of 2012 the number of mobile-connected devices will exceed the number of people on Earth. The revolution brings with it a new generation of mobile-only Internet users, who only access the Internet through web enabled mobile devices.
To investigate this further, we’ve put together a report reviewing the number of web users who only access the Internet through their mobile. The report covers 5 developing economies with the UK as a comparison, and drills down specifically into China.
38% of Chinese mobile web users only access the Internet through their mobile. This is an increase of 8 percentage points over the past year.
This trend is especially prevalent in rural areas where 45% are mobile only, compared to 29% in the city. It’s a strong signal that the mobile internet is continuing to connect the previously unconnected in China, where in rural areas computers are not easily accessible.
Mobile banking for the masses
Over a quarter of mobile web users in China are using their mobiles for day-to-day banking, and this is even higher among the smartphone users. With growth likely to increase it presents a huge opportunity for the banking industry.
Photo: Tauno Tõhk
