A greater percentage of cell phone Internet users visit popular weather and sports Web sites compared with people who go online via computer, according to survey findings by MobileWeb Metrix.
Though mobile Web usage still represents a tiny fraction of all online activity, the findings may suggest certain types of information and services are seen as more popular or critical on wireless devices.
AccuWeather.com, for example, was accessed by cell phone browser among 7.5 percent of the roughly 4,000 survey respondents who identified themselves as wireless Web users in September. By contrast, among regular computer-based Web users, only 1.7 percent said they visited AccuWeather.com, according to MobileWeb Metrix, a joint venture between Telephia Inc. and comScore Networks.
Web usage patterns were similar for two other leading sources of weather information: At Weather.com, the online outpost of The Weather Channel and a unit of Landmark Communications Inc., wireless use came to 22.1 percent of mobile Web users vs. 12.7 of computer-based users. About 9 percent of the mobile Web users accessed Yahoo Inc.'s weather service, while queries from desktop users numbered 5.7 percent.
Mobile usage of ESPN.com, a unit of Walt Disney Co., provided a similar contrast: 17.9 percent to 9.4 percent, respectively.
