There is an increasing expectation that internet services are something that can be carried around in pockets with the expanding use of mobile devices, it has been claimed.

According to Niall Murphy, co-founder and chief strategy officer of wireless broadband provider The Cloud, people expect "to ubiquitously access" the internet wherever they may be.

This, he claimed, is due to the fact that web users are becoming more reliant on mobile internet devices.

"Laptops far outsell fixed line PCs or fixed line mode PCs as a means of computing today and handheld devices are increasingly becoming internet centric devices as their principle mode of application," he said.

This comes after the latest report from telecom industry analysts Ovum revealed that growth of mobile data services will continue despite the current financial downturn.

Ovum forecasts a 43 per cent increase in connections in 2013, reaching more than 5.6 billion.

Meanwhile, prepaid connections are expected to account for 73 per cent of connections in 2013, which is 70 per cent increase from today.

The report also projected that by 2013, the total service revenues to operators globally would reach $1.1 trillion - 23 per cent rise from now.