WiFi fundamentally alters the way people use the Internet - allowing people to go online in places that previously weren’t possible, in greater comfort and a more relaxed mindset.   It becomes increasingly possible to reach people in private environments and when they’re in rooms relevant for your product.  With WiFi laptops, people are never more than one step away from a shop, making impulse purchasing online more likely than ever before.

Broadband has already ushered in an era in where computers are used as much for frivolous purposes as they are functional; WiFi and laptops cement this further.   In WiFi laptop homes, using multiple media at once becomes commonplace, leading to media meshing, with the Internet used to enhance the experience of other media, particularly TV.  As a result, integration between online and offline media activities becomes even more crucial. 

People found their Internet-enabled mobile phones frustrating from the start with technical set-up problems and confusing phone interfaces.  The complaints continued even once these problems were overcome.  Mobile content was considered to take far too long to download.  Even those who did succeed in downloading quickly hit a wall in terms of storage capacity.  Unreliable access was an also an issue, particularly for mobile TV.  

However, IM on mobile phones was well received.  Mobile games were also popular with most and mobile TV had a following.  Although accessing the Internet over mobile phones is the future it’s still in its infancy.  Marketers should recognise those elements of the mobile phone Internet that have gained a foothold, focus on exploring marketing opportunities around these areas.  For brands seeking to reach and engage with younger or highly tech savvy audiences, opportunities already exist.