Mobile Phone Web Users Nearly Equal PC Based Internet Users in Japan

53.6 Million Japanese Use Mobile Phones to Access the Internet

Email is the Most Popular Mobile Web Activity

TOKYO, JAPAN, SEPTEMBER 20, 2007 – Comscore (NASDAQ: SCOR), a leader in measuring the digital world, today released a new study on mobile phone usage in Japan. The study estimated that 53.6 million people are using a mobile device to access the Internet, a figure nearly equaling the 53.7 million who accessed the Internet from either a home or a work computer in June 2007. The study was conducted among 3100 people age 15 and over.

Checking email is the most common Internet activity from mobile phones, used by 75 percent of those surveyed. Forty-one percent checked email at least once a day. Accessing news and information was next most popular with 52 percent doing so. Search and navigation queries were close behind at 51 percent. 

Top Mobile Web Activities*
June 2007
Total Japan, Age 15+**
Source: Comscore Mobile Web Metrix

Mobile Web Activity

Percent Reach

Email

75%

News/Information

52%

Search/Navigation

51%

Games

39%

Blogs

38%

* Mobile Web activity conducted within last 30 days
**Study conducted among 3100 people

Time spent web browsing on mobile phones is still much lower than that spent on desktop PC’s. Internet usage on mobile phones averages 8.1 hours per month versus 18.9 hours by PC. Subscribers to the KDDI Au/TU-KA and Willcom networks spent more time surfing than NTT DoCoMo and Softbank customers. 

Adoption of web usage on mobile phones skews young. People under 34 years old account for 64 percent of mobile phone web users versus 45 percent of PC web users.

Despite these significant usage figures, consumer satisfaction remains low. Only 12.6 percent of respondents accessing the Internet via a mobile device stated that they were either “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied”, with 52.1 percent stating that they were either “very dissatisfied” or “somewhat dissatisfied”.

Other key findings: 

  • Among operators, NTT DoCoMo has 52 percent share of market.
  • Sharp has a 21 percent share of the handset market, followed by NEC and Panasonic with 15 percent and 13 percent respectively.
  • 80 percent of those surveyed have taken a photo with their mobile phone and 40 percent have used their mobile’s bar code reader.
  • Yahoo! ranks among the top three Internet properties accessed via mobile phone in 14 of the 15 categories reported in the study.

Maru Sato, Managing Director of Comscore, Japan, said: “Mobile Web is a significant opportunity. Advertisers can now reach 53 million consumers online. The mobile audience is especially important to marketers trying to reach younger audiences.”

About Comscore
Comscore, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCOR) is a global leader in measuring the digital world. This capability is based on a massive, global cross-section of more than 2 million consumers who have given Comscore permission to confidentially capture their browsing and transaction behavior, including online and offline purchasing. Comscore panelists also participate in survey research that captures and integrates their attitudes and intentions. Through its proprietary technology, Comscore measures what matters across a broad spectrum of behavior and attitudes. Comscore analysts apply this deep knowledge of customers and competitors to help clients design powerful marketing strategies and tactics that deliver superior ROI. Comscore services are used by more than 700 clients, including global leaders such as AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo!, BBC, Carat, Cyworld, Deutsche Bank, France Telecom, Best Buy, The Newspaper Association of America, Financial Times, ESPN, Fox Sports, Nestlé, Starcom, Universal McCann, the United States Postal Service, Verizon, ViaMichelin, Merck and Expedia.

Ayaan Mohamud
Comscore, Inc.
+ 44 (0) 207-099-1775
worldpress@comscore.com



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