Imagine you could use internet wherever you are, whenever you want… But wait, that’s possible! With your cell phone you can use different internet services (nearly) everywhere. You are waiting for an important email, but are not having access to a computer? Just retrieve them via cell phone. You are arguing about something with a friend, and are completely sure you’re right? Prove that you’re right using the internet via cell phone. You are searching for a shop with incredible clothes, but don’t remember the address? Check it on the internet via cell phone. You’re bored waiting for the bus which seems to take forever? Just download a mobile game via cell phone. There are so many possibilities where internet can make your life easier that I wonder why so few people in Germany actually use it.

A study of Nielsen Mobile showed that approximately 16% of the Americans use mobile internet, but just about 7% of the Germans. That means out of 16 countries, Germany ranks eighth. The US ranks first, and UK second with about 13%. There were 40 million active users in the US in May 2008. From 2006 to 2008 the number of active users nearly doubled. For me, it was surprising that the group of 35 to 54-year-olds made up 37% of all users in May 2008. I would have thought that the majority of users is younger, but the age group from 13 to 24 just made up approximately 25%. The 25 to 34-year-olds are the second largest group with about 27%. Not surprisingly, people over 55 make up the smallest group with about 11%. Thus, Americans at the age of 25 to 54 use mobile internet most often.

Not only the number of mobile internet users differs from the US to Germany, but also the devices used: In the US, there is a top 5 list consisting of the Motorola RAZR/RAZR2 ranking first with 10%, followed by the Apple iPhone with 4%, the RIM Blackberry 8100 series (2%), the RIM Blackberry 8800 series (2%), and the Motorola Q Series (2%). In Europe (including among others Germany), the Nokia N95 ranks first with 5%, the Nokia N70 ranks second with 4%, followed by the Motorola RAZR/RAZR2, Sony Ericsson K800i, and Nokia N73 with each 3%.

Interestingly, the top three mobile web categories in the US are portals - such as Yahoo and Google -, e-mail, and the weather. For me, it is surprising that people use their cell phones in order to get information on something as trivial as the weather, but obviously this is what interests them. In addition, the weather just ranks third, portals and e-mail rank first and second, and that makes more sense to me.
I assume that even though we Germans seem a little bit more sceptical in terms of new technologies than other nationalities, in the future, there will be mobile internet flatrates used by a majority of the German population that is not able to imagine a life without permanent internet access.