Researchers at IDC have determined that the majority of U.S. Internet users will access the ‘Net via mobile devices by 2015, rather than through PCs or other wireline devices.
According to IDC rep Karsten Weide, the number of mobile Internet users is projected to increase by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.6% between 2010 and 2015 – propelled primarily by the growth of smartphones and media table sales.
“The impact of smartphone and, especially, media tablet adoption will be so great that the number of users accessing the Internet through PCs will first stagnate and then slowly decline,” said Weide.
“Western Europe and Japan will not be far behind the U.S. in following this trend.”
Meanwhile, the total number of Internet users is expected to jump from 2 billion in 2010 to 2.7 billion in 2015, when approximately 40% of the world’s population will gain access to its vast resources.
“[So] forget what we have taken for granted on how consumers use the Internet… Soon, more users will access the Web using mobile devices than using PCs, and it’s going to make the Internet a very different place,” Weide added.
