Cyber cafes losing ground to home access in PH

With the cost of Internet access going down, a new survey conducted by Internet firm Yahoo and research firm Nielsen has revealed that a shift from shared to private access is fast shaping up in the country. The Yahoo-commissioned 3rd Net Index study showed online browsing through Internet cafes declined from 71 percent to 66 percent, while home Internet increased from 31 percent to 35 percent over the past two years. Jay Bautista, managing director for media at Nielsen Philippines, attributed the growth of the home-based access to these factors: decreasing broadband rates, bundled hardware offerings by telcos, and the “proficiency” for sharing, as well as the need for household members to acquire Internet access to connect with other family members abroad. The survey also indicated that search (80 percent) plays a significant role in the overall engagement on the Internet as Filipinos go online for leisure and entertainment, particularly international music (68 percent), local music (65 percent) viewing photographs and videos (59 percent) and playing games (55 percent). Social networking (82 percent) is at par with search and also popular among the Filipino youth. The research also showed that 10–29 year old demographic remains the core audience group driving the Internet adoption in the Philippines. The key findings of include four overarching themes: Shift from shared to private access continues Although majority of the Filipinos access the Web from Internet cafes, this trend is decelerating from 71 percent in 2009 to 66 percent in 2011, with private access at home becoming more popular, increasing from 27 percent to 35 percent over the same period Mobile Internet which had grown from virtually zero in 2009 to 5 percent in 2010, has remained stable (4 percent) Overall engagement on the Internet on the rise Entertainment consumption is growing particularly international music (68 percent), local music (65 percent), viewing interesting videos or photos (59 percent) and playing online games (56 percent) Mail (64 percent) and Messenger (69 percent) remain a relevant platform to connect and communicate Social networking is at par with search Social networking (82 percent) is at par with Search (80 percent) as the dominant internet activity Social networking is not just an activity but is the starting point for online experience for many (39 percent) Social networking users are becoming more selective and specific about choosing who they want to socialize with (59 percent) E-commerce shows potential given consumer interest The level of comprehension for group buying is moderate (32 percent), however, among those who understand the concept, almost half (48 percent) show interest, proving that e-commerce exhibits potential Online transactions remain in its infancy stage of development given the the constraints around product authenticity and infrastructure however word of mouth is especially powerful in Philippines and can favor the concept of deal aggregation sites