Mobile Phones Hugely Influence The Internet Revolution, Internet Pioneer Says

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• Posted by Peggy Anne Salz
• Tue 20 Feb 2007 05:09 AM

Vinton G. Cerf, Google VP and one of the founding fathers of the Internet, told reporters during a visit to Bangalore (where Google also has an R&D facility) that mobile phones, not PCs, are driving the growth of the Web. In his presentation he stressed that the number of mobile users-- 2.5 billion to date-- will increase rapidly due to a rise in the number of users in China and India. India, a country of 1.1 billion people, is adding seven million mobile-phone users a month alone. India is also estimated to have 40 million people online, 3.5 percent of its population. To broaden the reach of the Internet Google will focus on local languages, culture, content, and delivery of new business models, he said. The pieces are falling into place, but the industry will see a “boom” in the number of people using the Internet “only when affordability increases and the cost of communication goes down,” he said.