Recent research from Nielsen Online has found that more and more people are choosing to access the Internet via their mobile phone, whilst web access via computers is decreasing in popularity. Nielsen Online found that, during the second and third quarters of this year, over seven million people accessed the Internet using their mobile phone.

This figure represents an impressive growth rate of twenty five per cent, whilst the equivalent growth rate for computers stands at just three per cent. Furthermore, Nielsen Online has revealed that users accessing the web via mobile phone are generally younger than those accessing it via a computer.

Nielsen Online’s research also exposed other trends which differ depending upon how the Internet is accessed. For example, with users accessing the web via a standard computer, Google is the most popular website. However, with users accessing the Internet via a mobile phone device, BBC News remains the most popular website. Almost twenty five per cent of those accessing the web via mobile phone view the BBC News site.

Kent Ferguson, a senior analyst for Nielson Online, believes that the trends highlight the fundamental differences between mobile phone and computer Internet access. Mobile phone usage relates to the immediate desire for information. Thus, many people choose to head straight to a reliable news source, which also provides information about weather and sport. On the other hand, people who use computers to access the web may spend more time browsing entertainment websites or shopping on online retail sites.