Globe Telecom Is Top Mobile Internet Provider

It is in the news that Globe Telecom emerged as the most popular service provider for mobile Internet services according to Yahoo! Net Index 2011, an annual consumer study jointly conducted by Yahoo! Southeast Asia and Nielsen that tracks the trends and Internet habits of Filipinos. As of end-September last year, the Globe’s mobile browsing revenues rose to over P1.4 billion, a 64-percent increase from the previous year’s level on the back of the company’s strong portfolio of new services that promote the use of mobile Internet for social networking, search engine, e-mail services as well as entertainment through the use of mobile applications or apps.

The annual study which is now on its third year, surveyed a total of 1,500 respondents across all socio-economic classes living in 22 major cities in the country. It used a two-part structured questionnaire to determine Internet usage and behavior, which included mobile Internet, or access of the Internet via the mobile phone.

A check of the web for a copy of the latest Yahoo! Net Index 2011 yields negative results (there is one for first quarter of 2011) but according to the news reports, the study further revealed the following:

• The Philippines stands apart as the only country in Southeast Asia where women make up a higher proportion of mobile Internet users than men at 57 percent versus 43 percent.
• The growth in mobile Internet activity came from the youth segment and those from the lower economic groups.
• Mobile Internet goers use affordable handsets bundled with bite-sized voice and data plans for sending e-mails, social networking, instant messaging and search engines.
• Access at home, the young demography, affordable handsets and bite-sized prepaid data plans are driving mobile Internet growth.
• As more Filipinos access the Web via mobile, this will allow telecom companies achieve economies of scale and bring down tariffs, in turn adding further stimulus to mobile Internet growth.

With the rapid penetration of social media and availability of more affordable smartphones among Filipino mobile phone owners, i-café owners in the country may have to rethink their business strategies in order to fit the changing trends and Internet habits of their customers.