The Future is Wireless

Pew Internet Report: Wireless Internet Use, July 22, 2009

56% Of All Americans Have Accessed The Internet By Wireless Means

Overview

An April 2009 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project asked respondents whether they had used a variety of devices - laptops, cell phones, game consoles, and more - to go online using a wireless network. Altogether, 56% of Americans said they have at some point used wireless means for online access.

* 39% of all Americans have used a laptop computer to go online wirelessly, making this the most prevalent means of wireless access.

* 32% of all Americans have gotten online with a mobile device - meaning they have used a cell phone or other handheld device to check email, access the internet for information, or send instant messages.

Together, laptop and mobile wireless access account for the vast majority of wireless access, as 51% of Americans have gotten online using either of these two methods. Some people (19% of Americans) opt for both means of wireless access - portable laptops on fast WiFi networks or handheld access on slower networks from cell carriers.

Use of the internet on mobile devices has grown sharply from the end of 2007 to the beginning of 2009.

* In December 2007, 24% of Americans said they had at some point used the internet on their mobile device.

* By April 2009, 32% of Americans said they had at some point used the internet on their mobile device.

* In December 2007, 11% of Americans said they had yesterday accessed the internet on their mobile.

* By April 2009, 19% of Americans said they had yesterday accessed the internet on their mobile.

Links To HTM and PDF versions of the Full Report available