A Pew Internet Project study on the use of the Internet outside of the home (first places) and work (second places) reports that 23% of the 128 million US adults who use the Internet have gone online in third places. While the report lists the top places for access — school (27%), friend/neighbor’s house (26%), library (26%), relative’s house (9%), hotels (3%) and cyber cafes (2%) — it does not report the number using WiFi hotspots. I suspect this is largely due to the time of the study (the location portion of the study was done between May and October 2002); it certainly contrasts with predictions in a recent Gartner Group report that the number of WiFi hotspot users will reach 30 million worldwide by the end of 2004.
Another study, by Ipsos-Insight this past February, found that only 8% of US adults were “very familiar” with WiFi, and 34% were “somewhat familiar”. Among the unspecified number of “current and potential users” of WiFi, the majority “expressed interest” in third place access points (hotels, airports, coffee shops & restaurants). It also interesting to note the Guardian’s recent prediction of the demise of cyber cafes, due to increased availability of WiFi hotspots and the anticipation of 3G services.