Mobile internet 'growing 8 times faster' than desktop

Mobile internet is experiencing faster growth in the UK than desktop-based, according to new research.

A study by Nielsen Online found that 7.3 million people used mobile internet in the third quarter of 2008, compared to 5.8 million in the second - marking growth of 25 per cent.

However, despite desktop usage having larger totals of 34.3 million and 35.3 million for the second and third quarter respectively, this only represented growth of three per cent.

"The fact that almost seven and a half million Britons now access the web through their phone shows that mobile Internet is fast becoming a viable way for advertisers and publishers to reach important demographic groups," said Nielsen senior analyst Kent Ferguson.

Within the figures, it was found that mobile internet was more popular with younger people - 25 per cent of mobile users were between 15 and 24, while only 12 per cent were older than 55.