MORE THAN 70% of smartphone users in the country last year are from the youth segment, driving the uptake of Internet browsing, social networking and short message service (SMS), data from communications technology and services provider Ericsson showed.
The Stockholm-based communications technology and services provider released its mobility report on Monday, citing the young market, ages 16-24 years old, as one of the key trends that drive information and communication technology growth in the Southeast Asia and Oceania.
Ericsson Philippines and Pacific Island President Elie Hanna said during a media briefing in Makati City: “Youth are active users of applications, especially messaging applications, and in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, nearly one-third of the population is aged 16-24.”
Relative to total population, the youth segment in the Philippines is at 31%.
The report showed that the Philippines’ youth segment is more active than adults (over 25 years old) in using their smartphones for various purposes, such as voice and SMS, Internet browsing, social networking and video streaming. The report also saw the youth’s increased consumption of instant messaging services in 2013, overtaking Internet browsing which led in 2012.
“These applications appeal to the youth market because they enable them to coordinate activities with different social groups, facilitate private chatting with friends and access social network platforms,” Mr. Hanna said.
Due to the increasing demand for mobile applications and data usage among the youth sector, Mr. Hanna said mobile data traffic will grow by more than 10 times between 2013 and 2019. This, he said, calls for “the need to create high performing networks to keep up with more complex user demands and support increasing mobile data consumption.” — C. V. Dela Paz
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