Emergence of internet has taken world into a storm. And ever since smart phone has come into the picture, it has become as important as food, water, air and shelter.
The world has never been so smaller and exposure has never been so easier. Desktop to laptop to smart phone, the journey of accessing devices has only made the internet usage higher and even higher. Cost and effect of demand price ratio is in a loop.
Lowered price of data has made internet a popular thing in almost all social strata and age groups. So, we can imagine what impact it has in a developed country like USA where mobile phone has been a necessary item since a long time.
According to a study, 8 in every 10 internet users in the US access it in their mobiles. So it was predicted that in 2017 alone, about 41 million people which is 15% of the total internet users will use only mobile phones to access internet. This is a growth of 11%. Time spent on mobile is increasing while time spent on with all other devices like laptop, TV or desktop is decreasing for the last few years. It does not need special mention that in the subsequent years there will be a rise in the number of mobile-only internet users as people will migrate away from using laptop or desktop for internet. There will be about three-quarter of internet users who will use both PC and hand-held devices to access internet, but in coming years people sticking only to mobiles for internet will be increased substantially. Thus, by 2020 the multiple device internet users will be shrunk.
Last year there was a prediction that about 40 million internet users will be converted to exclusive mobile internet users. And it turned out to be a fact. This year it has been predicted that by 2020 the number will increase to 52 million as more and more people will drift from PC and laptops and switch to smart phones for internet access. If statistics is to be believed, then from 2015 to 2021, there will be a growth by 20-25% in mobile internet usage in the US. The reason is very clear and simple. People prefer mobility. When wireless router came for laptops, people abandoned using desktops with Ethernet connection. Mobile internet is a step further in direction. It lets you access internet even when you are on go. This was something beyond our imagination couple of years ago.
If someone is to be given credit for this surge in internet usage, then it is definitely the mobile phone companies. From Apple to Samsung, Lenovo, Motorola and finally even Nokia along with Android, iOS and Windows revolutionized the concept of communication. WhatsApp, Snapchat, Facetime, Viber etc used this to their benefit and we as consumers got addicted to mobile internet. Go through what statistics says about the data of last decade and you will know how much time people in USA spends on phone Internet. Usage envelops everything from videos, games to site visits. We seldom waste a minute while waiting, traveling and even sleeping. US spent about 20% of the total e-commerce merchandise on mobile devices only in 2016. And trends suggest that this number will only rise in current future.