Mobile web surfing, can Canadians cut the cord?

Hill + Knowlton published some fresh Canadian statistics from TNS Canada Digital Life study on “The Mobility of Mobile”. The study asked Canadians if they would be happy doing all their internet surfing via a mobile device?

The results were broken down in 6 segments, each group representing traits unique to a particular type of Canadian internet user. They found that 51% of “Aspirers” are happy using their mobile device for all their web surfing needs.

The only trouble with that number is “Aspirers” only account for 11% of Canadian internet users. Majority of users are “Functionals” representing 31% of Canadians connecting to the net. When it comes to relying solely on their mobile device to surf the net, only 25% of this group would be happy.

Is one of the smallest segments of Canadian internet users leading the revolution of mobile web adoption or are Canadians simply using their smartphones to do dumb things (i.e. text messaging, picture sharing etc.)? A global study published by Cisco in February 2012 indicated that average smartphone usage nearly tripled in 2011 and over 100 million users will join the “gigabyte club” (over 1 GB per month) by 2012. Trends demonstrate the amount of data being consumption is increasing year over year.  Comparing global trends for data consumption, what is holding Canadians back from doing all (if not most) of their internet surfing via a mobile device?

Is it simply the size of the screen, lack of a keyboard and/or mouse? Are Canadians app obsessed and satisfying all their mobile needs via app connections? Is it a bigger issue of security? Regardless, I think it’s safe to assume that it’s only a matter of time before those cautious force themselves to choose lifestyle convenience and leave their fear of the unknown (and their computer) behind.

Check out the full infographic below

Via: Hill + Knowlton
Source: Cisco