iPhone helps boost popularity of mobile web browsing

The success of the Apple iPhone has encouraged more people across the UK and US to browse the web on their mobile phones, it has been claimed.

According to a new report by mobile technology firm Bango, the widespread popularity of smartphone devices has resulted in a dramatic increase in mobile internet traffic in recent months.

The company identified people using their handsets to access the web in more than 200 different countries in February, with the US having knocked the UK off the top spot for mobile browsing.

American surfers accounted for 29 per cent of worldwide traffic compared to 20 per cent in Britain.

Senior vice-president of marketing at Bango Anil Malhotra said: "With 245 million subscribers, it was only a matter of time before the US became the number one country in the world for mobile web browsing."

Despite the continued growth, she claimed that businesses across the world had failed to take advantage of the popularity of mobile web browsing.

"Many people simply have no idea that they have visitors from mobile devices accessing their PC websites - these mobile visitors are simply invisible to them," Mr Malhotra commented.

He claimed that companies could benefit from the trend by developing mobile websites, with people showing a greater willingness to buy and download content from the internet straight to their handsets.

Bango found that the US is also accelerating fastest in this department, now accounting for more than half of payments worldwide compared to 38 per cent in the UK.

The findings come after mobile operator Orange announced a partnership with Barclaycard that will see the two companies come together to offer mobile payment services to customers, allowing them to use their handsets to pay for everyday items and products.

By Stephen Glass