Mobile Web Usage Triples in U.S., Study Says

LONDON — More and more consumers are surfing the Internet on their mobile phones, resulting in a three-fold increase in the U.S. over the last year, according to a new study released by mobile web promotions company Bango.com.

The study said that 21 percent of mobile users worldwide live in the U.S., while South Africa contributed 11 percent and India counted for another 9 percent.

According to the study, the U.K. remains the worldwide capital for mobile web usage, accounting for 27 percent of all users.

But the study was only based on mobile web traffic that passed through Bango's many mobile web portals. Bango provides businesses with a variety of ways to help its customers move from standard online websites to mobile websites and vice-versa.

Anil Malhotra, executive vice president of marketing for Bango, told XBIZ that although the company only handles about 10 percent of mobile web traffic worldwide, Bango's diverse client base added legitimacy to its study.

"The numbers we gathered are significant enough for the data to be meaningful," he said.

But what's causing more people to surf the Internet with their cellphones? Malhotra attributed the increase in mobile web traffic to three trends:

  • More companies are offering more and better content on their mobile websites. The presence of better content is attracting more surfers, Malhotra said.
  • Mobile web providers have started to charge flat rates for surfers, as opposed to the download-by-download charges that characterized the early mobile Internet.
  • The mobile Internet is becoming more like the regular Internet. Yahoo and Google have both established stronger presences on the mobile web, and Malhotra said that's only the beginning.
  • As for the future of the mobile Internet, Malhotra said there's a difference of opinion in the mobile web community. Some think that consumers will only use the mobile web for what he called "imperative" services — sports scores, flight times and directions.

    Others like Malhotra maintain that as the mobile Internet becomes more like the regular Internet, consumers will surf on their phones for the same reasons they surf on their computers: to stay informed, shop for clothes — and especially to procrastinate.

    Copyright © 2026 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
    Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

    More News

    2026 XBIZ LA Conference Schedule Announced

    XBIZ is pleased to announce the release of the full show schedule for the XBIZ 2026 conference, set to take place Jan. 12-15 at the Kimpton Everly Hotel in Hollywood.

    Needemand Joins ASACP as Corporate Sponsor

    French startup company Needemand has signed on as the latest corporate sponsor for Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP).

    Utah State Legislator Proposes New 'Porn Tax'

    A Utah state senator introduced a bill on Monday that would impose a 7% tax on the gross receipts of adult websites doing business in that state, plus require adult sites to pay an annual $500 fee.

    Carlotta Champagne is LoyalFans' 'Featured Creator' for January

    LoyalFans has named Carlotta Champagne as its Featured Creator for January.

    Pineapple Support Relaunches Site

    Pineapple Support has updated and relaunched its website.

    Arcom-Targeted Sites Implement Age Verification in France

    Five high-traffic adult websites based outside of France have implemented age verification as required under the nation’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, after receiving warnings from French media regulator Arcom.

    Goddess Lilith Launches 'Adultpreneurs' Networking Site

    Goddess Lilith has launched Adultpreneurs, a new community and networking site.

    Adult Shoot Location Marketplace 'FckSpace' Launches

    FckSpace, a new platform aimed at simplifying location sourcing for adult productions, is now live

    Florida Attorney General Dismisses AV Suit Against Segpay

    The Florida attorney general’s office on Monday agreed to dismiss claims against payment processor Segpay in a lawsuit over alleged noncompliance with the state’s age verification law.

    FTC Weighs Reboot of 'Click to Cancel' Rulemaking Process

    The Federal Trade Commission has invited public comments on a petition to renew trade regulation rulemaking concerning negative option plans, after a federal court previously vacated a “click-to-cancel” rule aimed at making it easier for consumers to cancel online subscriptions.

    Show More