More And More People Turning to Mobile For News
More And More People Turning to Mobile For News
1st July , 2009
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UK : Numbers released by 3 today suggest that the network's customers are turning to their phones to make sure they get the latest breaking news.
In the week that saw the passing of the King of Pop, 3 saw a record number of hits on its free-to-browse mobile portal site Planet 3, with clicks on a dedicated Michael Jackson button far exceeding any other portal activity to date.
News of Jackson’s death spread quickly to fans thanks to the internet. On Friday 26th June 2009, hits on Planet 3's news item reached an all time high with an average 400% increase in hits throughout the day, highlighting consumer desire for instant news on the move.
Of the top 100 Google searches more than half were dominated by topics related to Michael Jackson whilst micro-blogging site Twitter reported that at one stage nine out of 10 updates related to the singer’s death. 3 customers reflected this by not only wanting to read the news but then going on to share it too with hits to Twitter from 3 handsets doubling throughout the day.
David Kerrigan, Head of Internet Services at 3 UK says: “Strong usage figures for Planet 3 and our main news item last week reflects our customers’ appetite for access to quick and convenient information on the move.
“Their 3 handsets are like mini newswires in their pockets, and at the touch of a button, our customers can be in full grasp of the headlines. Our Planet 3 service is free to browse, and with market leading internet offerings on both contract and Pay As You Go our customers are increasingly using the web on their phones to ‘snack’ on information and then share news and experiences through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.”
While web experts have described Jackson’s death as a landmark internet news event it is not the first time that 3 customers have turned to the internet on their mobiles for breaking news.
The election of Barack Obama as President of the United States last year and the recent Air France disaster saw notable spikes in news consumption with around 80% increases for both, whilst the death of Jade Goody earlier this year received a 200% increase on the average.
Weekly internet hits on Planet 3 have risen by 83% over the last 6 months, from 3m to 5.5m.