Europe UK : Orange unveiled its third Digital Media Index, a detailed report examining trends in customer consumption of digital media. The latest findings reveal a sharp increase in mobile internet access alongside traditional fixed line broadband.

The Orange Digital Media Index reveals usage patterns across the full range of Orange’s entertainment and communications services, including home broadband, text and picture messaging, and the mobile internet.

Key findings from the spring report include:

• Mobile internet becomes part of day-to-day life - with a 35% increase in page impressions
• Mobile TV takes off - with an 87% increase in the total hours viewed
• Video downloads gain momentum - having doubled in the last year
• Single music track downloads reach new heights - with a record-breaking 289,000 tracks downloaded in December alone
• Text messaging becomes more popular than ever - with over 1.3 billion messages sent a month - an increase of 21%

* These figures are in comparison to the second Orange Digital Media Index released in November 2007

Matthew Kirk ( above ), Director of Portals for Orange, said: “The mobile phone has truly taken its place as a multimedia content device. The popularity of mobile TV, music and gaming has surged as customers use the mobile internet alongside home broadband to stay connected wherever they are.

It really is the third screen in our lives for entertainment, communication and information alongside the TV and the PC ”.