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US Tops Worldwide Charts for Mobile Web Browsing and Spending

The U.S. now leads the world in mobile web browsing, accounting for 29% of global traffic, according to new data issued by mobile web solutions provider Bango.

In all, Bango’s February 2009 data identifies mobile web users spanning 208 different countries and 1,811 different handsets. While Bango cites the publicity surrounding Apple’s iPhone as a catalyst behind mobile web uptake in markets like the U.S. and the U.K., the firm credits the absence of fixed-line broadband and PCs for growth in regions such as India, South Africa, Indonesia and Egypt, where mobile devices are often users’ sole point of access to the Internet.

Bango adds that the growth of mobile web traffic is matched by an increase in users paying for premium mobile content, adding that the U.S. now represents 57% of mobile payments worldwide.

“With 245 million subscribers, it was only a matter of time before the US became the number 1 country in the world for mobile web browsing,” said Anil Malhotra, SVP of Marketing at Bango. “When it comes to payments though, the US is accelerating faster than any other country and now accounts for 57% of payments worldwide.”

The statistics also show that while some countries such as India and Indonesia have a good appetite for browsing on their mobiles, it doesn’t always convert into purchases. In fact, only five countries in the Top 10 browsing chart are also in the Top 10 payments chart – USA, UK, Portugal, South Africa and Spain. According to Bango, browsing rates are only converted into high purchase rates in markets where users enjoy significant disposable income and can pay for premium content via their phone bills.

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