Australians Embrace Mobile Applications

­Accessing online services via mobile phones is becoming increasingly popular for Australians. While the month of June 2011, 3.9 million people aged 14 years and over went online via their mobile phone -- a 63 per cent increase on the previous June. In particular, 72 per cent of smartphone users downloaded a mobile app in the six months to April 2011.

As at April 2011, the report as well found that 37 per cent of mobile phone users have a smartphone and 58 per cent have a 3G phone. Young adults lead in the adoption of smartphones, with 59 per cent of mobile phone users aged 18-24 having a smartphone as at April 2011. Ninety per cent of smartphone users went online via their mobile handset in the six months to April 2011.

The rising popularity of smartphones

"The rising popularity of smartphones, in parallel with increased mobile phone data allowances and network capabilities, is encouraging the accessing of online services by mobile," said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman. "The mobile phone is a fully fledged participant in the digital economy, as things are becoming a converged device that more and more consumers use to access functions other than just voice.

"Internet access has become an integral feature of the mobile phone, and this has been complemented by the development of an array of mobile applications--which allow users access to specific services at the touch of a screen."

"They as well have the potential to disrupt current industry service models, for instance with Voice over Internet Protocol delivered via the mobile handset and the provision of free mobile messaging applications," Mr Chapman said.

According to the report, the numbers of Australians using the internet via their mobile phone while June 2011 on specific tasks were estimated as follows: