Mobile Internet Use Increased 7 % In Egypt In 2013; Nielsen

Mobile Internet use is on the rise in Egypt, as a new Nielsen Internet profiling survey revealed that 23 percent of Internet users access the Web using mobile devices, up 7 percentage points from a year ago.

“Internet on the go is a growing need among Egyptian consumers due to their busy lifestyles.

The real opportunity for mobile providers is finding the right offering that appeals to the masses, such as affordable mobile bundles. Smart phones are also becoming more accessible and affordable, which is a main factor for the spread of the mobile Internet,” said Tamer El Araby, Managing Director, Egypt and Levant at Nielsen.

According to the “Internet for the Masses” survey, consumers mainly use the Internet for social networking, as this activity increased to 71 percent of the activities performed online . Browsing for political news increased to 41 percent, up from 38 percent last year, given the rise in political instability in 2013.

Search for general information dropped 4 percentage points over the year to 40 percent in 2013. With respect to the top mobile activities, watching videos (including movies) and voice chatting moved into the top 5 activities this year.

The most-visited websites in 2013 mirrored those in 2012, with the exception of Masrawy.com, which shifted down from last year. Facebook was the most-visited website in 2013 (33%), but the site’s popularity dropped 4 percentage points over the year. Google.com (25%) was the second-most visited website, up 2 percentage points from last year, while Youtube.com (19%) recorded the biggest increase—10 percentage points—in 2013. Google.com.eg (7%) and Yahoo.com (3%) were the fourth- and fifth-most visited sites of the year.

According to the study the Internet adoption rate in urban Egypt grew 2 percent over the past year, reaching 44 percent in 2013. The proportion of newcomers also increased in 2013, rising 6 percent over the past year to 27 percent of the current Internet users from 21 percent in 2012 and 15 percent in 2011.

“The majority of Internet users have been using it for one to three years (41%), which is reflective of the Egyptian revolution period where the Internet, and Facebook in particular, experienced a big spike in consumer usage,” added El Araby.

Source: Press Release