17 mln Europeans access Internet via cell phones

Europe's mobile phone penetration has plateaued at around 80%. The UK and Italy have reached saturation levels, while France still has some room for growth with 69% penetration. Mobile phone brand ownership displayed minor changes from the past two years, but Nokia is still in the lead, ahead of Siemens and Motorola. Nearly 60% of mobile accounts are prepay. Some 70% of mobile users use SMS as a way to communicate. A low 14% of Europe's mobile users have adopted MMS. Other favorite services are mobile gaming and buying ring tones. Nearly 17 mln users across Europe already access the mobile Internet, about 9% of all mobile users, Forrester Research says. The UK leads in adoption, with 15% of mobile users browsing the Net from their phones.