Mobile broadband is the ‘next wave’, says Google Chief

The “next wave” in the internet revolution will be an increase in mobile broadband adoption.

This is the view of Google UK chief executive Martin Brittin who said there is set to be a big shift in internet use, with a number of people leaning toward the mobile side of the market.

In a recent interview with the Telegraph, the top man at Google UK said there is going to be a “massive” change in the way people choose to access the internet.

“As growth in broadband starts to flatten off, we’re seeing the next wave. The big shift is to mobile internet,” he told the newspaper.

“Between 25 per cent and 30 per cent of consumers use their mobiles to access the internet. But in three years’ time analysts believe more people will be accessing it from their mobiles than from a desktop. That’s a massive change.”

Research published by the Nielsen Company at the back end of last year showed that browsing the web was the fastest growing activity on UK mobile phones.

According to the research, the number of Britons using their mobile internet increased from 8.8 million to 10.4 million between the second and third quarters of 2009.

Despite the rise of mobile internet, Mr Brittin said there are some potential users who are still being put off by thinking connection is a complicated move to make.

“There is still a job to do to educate people about what the internet can do for them and to get them over the ‘but surely it’s complicated’ hurdle, but I’m a huge optimist about the opportunities,” he added.