Mobile internet users to double by 2013, says IDC

Mobile internet devices to reach one billion over next four years

Number of mobile internet devices is expected to surpass one billion mark by 2013, driven by the popularity and affordability of mobile phones, smartphones, and other wireless devices, according to market research firm IDC.

The report showed that there were more than 450m mobile internet users worldwide in 2009 and is expected to more than double by the end of 2013.

John Gantz, chief research officer of IDC, said: With a wealth of information and services available from almost anywhere, internet-connected mobile devices are reshaping the way we go about our personal and professional lives.

“With an explosion in applications for mobile devices underway, the next several years will witness another sea change in the way users interact with the Internet and further blur the lines between personal and professional.

IDC said that the most popular online activities of mobile internet users are similar to those of other internet users such as, using search engines, reading news and sports information, downloading music and videos, and sending/receiving email and instant messages.

Over the next four years, the research firm expects some of the fastest growing applications for mobile internet users to be making online purchases, participating in online communities and creating blogs. Accessing online business applications and corporate email systems will also grow rapidly as businesses move to empower their mobile workforce.

According to IDC, more than 1.6 billion people a little over a quarter of the world's population used the internet in 2009. By 2013, over 2.2 billion people more than one third of the world's population is expected to be using the internet; more than 1.6 billion devices worldwide were used to access the internet in 2009, including PCs, mobile phones, and online videogame consoles. By 2013, the total number of devices accessing the internet is expected to increase to more than 2.7 billion.

China continues to have more internet users than any other country with 359m, which is expected to grow to 566m by 2013. The US had 261m internet users in 2009, a figure that will reach 280m in 2013. India will have one of the fastest growing internet populations, growing almost two-fold between 2009 and 2013. Currently, the US has far more total devices connected to the internet than any other country. China has 85m mobile devices connected to the internet in 2009.

Other findings include, more than 624m internet users will make online purchases in 2009, totaling nearly $8 trillion (both business to business and business to consumer). By 2013, worldwide eCommerce transactions will be worth more than $16 trillion.

Worldwide spending on internet advertising is expected to total nearly $61 billion in 2009, which is slightly more than 10% of all ad spending across all media. This share is expected to reach almost 15% by 2013 as internet ad spending growth surpasses $100 billion worldwide, the research firm said.

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