Mobile internet surpasses PC-based web

More people across Britain are accessing the internet via their mobiles than through the internet, new figures show.

According to research by Nielsen Online, the number of Brits who accessed mobile internet grew by 25 per cent (5.8 to 7.3 million) between the second and third quarters this year, compared to just a three per cent increase in PC-based web users.

The report also found that those who use mobile internet are younger than PC-based internet users - around 25 per cent of mobile internet users are aged between 15 and 24, compared to 16 per cent of PC internet users.

BBC News is the most frequently visited website among mobile internet users (1.7 million people), while Google Search is the most popular PC-based internet site.

Kent Ferguson, senior analyst at Nielsen, said: “The fact that almost 7.5 million Britons now access the web through their phone shows that mobile internet is fast becoming a viable way for advertisers and publishers to reach important demographic groups.”