US left in the shade over mobile surfing

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Europeans are leading the way when it comes to embracing web functionality on mobile phones, leaving their US counterparts lagging way behind.

Almost a third (29 per cent) of users in Europe regularly surf the net using such devices, compared to less than a fifth (19 per cent) of users in the US, according to comScore Networks' Mobile Tracking Study.

Germany and Italy boast the highest mobile internet penetration, with 34 per cent in each case, while France, Spain and the UK aren't that far behind with 28 per cent, 26 per cent and 24 per cent respectively.

Nokia is king when it comes to matching mobile web activity to devices, according to the research.

The mobile giant was the leading brand in five out of the six countries analysed for the study, with its dominance ranging from 50 per cent in Italy to 22 per cent in France.

Again, the US differs here in terms of device favouritism as the country's fondness for Motorola handsets (26 per cent) means that Nokia who boasts just 17 per cent share here has to settle for second place.

In terms of what users are doing once they start utilising the web when mobile, the usual suspects such as search engines and mobile operators' sites are proving attractive.

"In Europe, the mobile internet appears to mirror the dynamics of the fixed Internet," said Bob Ivins, managing director at comScore Europe.

"Google remains strong but the other US-based portals achieve much lower penetration, facing stiff competition from local competitors - in this case the mobile providers - who have the structural advantage of a degree of control over the access point and interface from the mobile phone."

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