12.3 million people used their mobile phone to access the Mobile Internet in the UK during June 2006, according to figures from the Mobile Data Association (MDA). The figure shows that close to 20% of mobile phone users are now regularly using the WAP capability on their phones to download ringtones, games or wallpapers, or to simply browse the Mobile Internet while on the move.
The MDA has posted some general information on its messaging website about how to get started with WAP. There are also details about costs, and a directory of useful Mobile Internet sites, which enable consumers to access information such as train times and weather forecasts while theyre out and about.
Over the past couple of years, says the MDA, the UKs network operators have been striving to make the Mobile Internet easier to use, and to provide more dynamic services and easy-to-understand pricing models. Orange has set up Orange World for its Mobile Internet users, while T-Mobile has T-Zones, O2 has O2 Active and Vodafone has Vodafone Live! All are Internet portals from which customers can access the web via their handsets.
The MDA now plans to issue Mobile Internet user figures on a monthly basis. The Association previously issued figures relating to the number of WAP page impressions viewed, but has revised the metric in order to give a clearer picture of how many people are accessing the service each month, rather than how many pages have been viewed.
More information on accessing the Mobile Internet here.