A new report form the Office of National Statistics makes for interesting reading although not too surprising as they confirm earlier trend analysis:
Nearly half (45 per cent) of Internet users accessed the Internet via a mobile phone in 2011, according to new data released today by ONS.
The information, which comes from the ONS opinions survey, shows that 71 per cent of 16-24 year old Internet users accessed the Internet via a mobile, the highest of any age group, up from 44 per cent in 2010. Internet users aged 65+, at 8 per cent, were least likely to access the Internet by a mobile. 38 per cent of all adults also accessed the Internet via another sort of mobile device, such as a laptop or tablet.
In 2011, 4.9 million people, or 13 per cent of Internet users, connected to wireless hotspots provided in public places such as restaurants, hotels or airports. This has almost doubled from last year when the number stood at 7 per cent.
Social networking is becoming ever more popular. Overall, 57 per cent of adult Internet users used online social networks in 2011, up from 43 per cent in 2010. 91 per cent of 16-24 year old Internet users now use social networking sites.
Among all households, 77 per cent now have access to the Internet, up from 73 per cent last year. 93 per cent of these access the Internet via an ADSL or cable broadband connection. However, it is notable that half of those without a household Internet connection said they didn’t have one because they ‘don’t need the Internet’.
Separate Internet access data, taken from the Labour Force Survey, show that in the second quarter of 2011, 8.73 million UK adults had never used the Internet. This was a decrease of 12,000 people since quarter one. The most likely age group to have never been online were over 75s (76.3 per cent). Over one-third of disabled people (36.8 per cent) also say they have never been online.