UK consumers embrace i-mode mobile Internet

UK consumers are responding positively to the availability of fast, secure mobile Internet access, with network operator O2 recording 250,000 customers for its i-mode service launched last October.

O2 reports that i-mode users consume twice as much data per month as they currently do on comparable WAP services, with over a million page impressions per day and 75 per cent of users active in any 30 day period. The service is rapidly expanding and currently hosts 150 sites across 13 genres, quickly becoming the fastest growing i-mode service outside of its native Japan.

Grahame Riddell, head of content marketing at O2, commented: "We are really pleased how well consumers have taken to i-mode. It is still early days, and the service needs to mature, but we are very positive about the emerging usage trends."

"While some early adopters are still testing the waters with free content, many others are subscribing to multiple sites and taking full advantage of the benefits of the i-mode business subscription model. Subscriber numbers are growing fast, and that growth is being driven by the content providers who are making the fullest use of i-modeâs features," he added.

eBay's i-mode site - which enables customers to track the progress of bids and make new bids on the move without the need for a PC and fixed Internet access - is proving most popular, followed by Kelkoo's shopping comparison site which enables consumers to find cheaper prices and alternative sources for their purchases.

Mobile gaming is also proving exceptionally popular on the service, aided by a generous subscription model which provides five games for the cost of three on a comparable subscription service.

O2 plans to make further changes to the service, extending its functionality through the inclusion of new sites, communication tools and mobile email features, and the company will also be launching a new selection of handsets from major manufacturers in the coming months, which it believes will further broaden the appeal of the i-mode service.