Nation Reporter
27 June 2011
Nairobi — Mobile internet is squeezing out the cyber cafe business, with many Kenyans preferring to surf on the phone because of privacy, lower costs and convenience.
When asked what they did on mobile internet, 90 per cent of respondents said they were networking compared to only about 50 per cent who said they had professional engagements or less than 20 per cent who were shopping online.
Most people say they use the mobile internet mainly to kill time when in matatus, during lunch or when not engaged productively.
According to statistics published in May after a study sponsored by, among others, Vodafone, Facebook is the most popular site for chatting and social networking.
Becoming addictive
Yahoo! is the second most popular site, mainly used for e-mailing, followed by Waptrick, which offers free ringtones, wallpaper, games and “adult” content.
The cyber cafe was still found to have some advantages, such as those wishing for a bigger screen or wanting to make large downloads or engage in more complex browsing.
Like is happening elsewhere, the internet is also becoming addictive to some Kenyans.
A significant number of respondents said the internet had become too important or intrusive, especially social networking.
The study was carried out in Nairobi, Kisumu and Nyeri and coordinated by Dr David Souter, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
AllAfrica – All the Time
See original article:
Cell Phones Threaten Cyber Cafes