One-third of US net users go wireless

Adam Turner
Monday, 26 February 2007 07:03

Your IT - Home IT

Mobile internet access has gone mainstream, with almost one-third of US internet users having logged on wirelessly whilst away from home or the office.

The figure is up from 22 per cent in February 2004, according to a survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

A quarter of Internet users have Internet-enabled cellphones, and just over half of those say they have used it to get online. Only 13 percent of Internet users have a PDA, but again just over half have used it to access the Internet or e-mail away from home or work.

The number of home wireless networks has almost doubled in the last two years, with 19 per cent of Internet users running a wifi network in their home compared to 10 per cent in January 2005. Three-quarters of the people with both a home wireless network and a laptop computer said they now use their laptop in different parts of the house.

Wireless internet access is not threatening to usurp fixed internet connections, with 80 per cent of wireless internet users also having broadband connections at home.