Adoption of mobile internet among university students in Kenya

Abstract

Mobile Internet has emerged as a tool that is changing the lives of many consumers especially in the developing countries by enabling them to access information. The objective of this research was to determine the extent to which Kenyan university students accept Mobile Internet, to identify the mobile platforms and data plans used, to identify and qualify the constructs that do affect adoption of Mobile Internet and to identify the services accessed by users of mobile internet. Most research work on Mobile internet adoption is structured on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). This research however included additional constructs to TAM and attempt to justify their effect on Mobile Internet adoption among university students in Kenya. The study found that majority of the respondents indicated that they were using ordinary phones and smart phones to access Mobile Internet. The respondents accessed different services on their mobile devices like Social networking, checking the news, accessing research materials and accessing e-mails. Most of the respondents preferred pre-paid data bundles. The study found that consumer's perceived ease of use had a positive impact on intention to use M-internet. It was also found that perceived usefulness had a positive impact on consumer's intention to use M-internet. The study also revealed that consumer's attitude toward M-internet had a positive impact on his/her intention to use M-internet. Consumer's perception of playfulness was found to have positive impact on intention to use M-internet. Internet experience was also shown to have a positive impact on a consumer's intention to use M-internet. Consumer's perception of service cost was shown to have an impact on intention to use M-internet. System quality was shown to have an impact on a consumer's intention to use M-internet. A consumer's perception of content quality also was shown to have an impact on intention to use M~internet. All these results were consistent with previous studies focusing on TAM framework as well as the studies on the additional Constructs.