A survey by Vanson Bourne for Critical Path revealed that 79% of mobile phone users in UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, and US would accept advertisements attached to email messages if the mobile email service was free. 62% of those surveyed said they are interested in using mobile email services, even though they do not currently take advantage of these services.

The research, which shows consumers’ interest in next generation services and a tolerance of advertising models, should make interesting reading to mobile phone operators looking to drive adoption. 58% of consumers said they would try a new data service if it was free. In contrast, only 5% said they would be encouraged to try a service if a friend recommended it, suggesting that referral programmes may not be the best route for driving adoption. The survey also pointed out that 98% of consumers cited cost as a reason for not trying or using new mobile data services in the past.

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