MEX

Research by Comscore Networks suggests that there may be as many as 9.9m mobile internet users in the US.

Comscore surveyed 60,000 Americans and extrapolated the results to find that 5m people use a handheld computer to access internet services and 5.8m use a wireless phone. Allowing for the 900,000 or so who use both, Comscore believes that nearly 10m people are already accessing mobile internet services, despite a widespread perception that the US mobile data market lags that in Europe and the Far East. A typical user was male, between 18 and 34 years old and had a household income of USD 60,000 or more. Comscore also discovered that gay and lesbian interest sites were the most popular, at 30%, while car rental sites (17%) and directories (16%) also scored highly.

“Although wireless internet usage is still in its relative infancy, these data prove there already is a significant wireless web audience,” said Peter Daboll, division president of comScore Media Metrix. “While there are more internet users with cell phones, a much higher proportion of PDA owners report using those devices to go online. These usage rates warrant careful monitoring, both by manufacturers as they develop new devices and by publishers and marketers as they evaluate wireless strategies.”