iPad Impacts Wi-Fi Usage

Apple’s iPad may only be one month old, but it’s already having an effect on Wi-Fi usage.

According to JiWire’s latest Mobile Audience Insights Report, 23 percent of Wi-Fi users plan to purchase an iPad in the next 12 months. Of those, 40 percent do not currently own an Apple device, positioning the iPad as a big crossover hit for non-Apple mobile owners.

JiWire’s report is based on data from 289,000 Wi-Fi locations combined with surveys of 2,030 consumers conducted in first quarter 2010.

Wi-Fi use continues to grow, up 15.8 percent from the fourth quarter, driven by more locations, more Wi-Fi-enabled devices (like the iPad) and more venues offering free Web access.

As of the first quarter, free Wi-Fi was offered in 42.5 percent of locations, up from 37.3 percent in fourth quarter 2009. While 60 percent of Wi-Fi use is in hotels and resorts, cafes are the fastest-growing locations, up 50.8 percent in Wi-Fi visits compared to the previous quarter.

JiWire, a company that operates a Wi-Fi ad network serving mainly regional marketers, found that over half of the survey respondents acted on app-based ads in the last 30 days, and 18 percent made purchases as a result. More than three quarters of respondents (76 percent) prefer free apps that have advertising over paying a fee.

“People have a completely different perception of mobile content and advertising when they’re on-the-go compared to when they’re at home or in the office,” said David Staas, svp, marketing for JiWire.

JiWire was No. 3 on AdweekMedia’s Out-of-Home Hot List 2010