Four-fifths of consumers still struggle to access mobile content

By Jason Ankeny

Eighty percent of subscribers in the U.S. and U.K. report some difficulty or problem when trying to access mobile content according to a new survey published by Qualcomm's Xiam Technologies discovery solutions unit and conducted by TNS Global. Time spent searching/downloading is the most commonly cited issue, followed by device/interface issues. In fact, users report they are unsuccessful in accessing mobile content about 27 percent of the time. In addition, 63 percent of respondents said they would purchase more content if discovery was less of a challenge--the survey reports that 68 percent of subscribers depend on mobile search engines to access content, with 58 percent directly entering URLs and 41 percent turning to their operator's content portal.

Users tell Xiam/TNS they would increase time spent each week accessing mobile content by over an hour (a 55 percent jump) and monthly spending by $8 (a 148 percent increase) if their content was personalized. Weather is the type of content most commonly accessed via mobile device, with 67 percent of subscribers now embracing weather-related apps and services followed by maps (55 percent), social networking (52 percent) and games (also 52 percent).