The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition according to a new statistic tracked by comScore, as of August, about 4 per cent of the 27.8 million Canadian Internet users are now relying on mobile devices exclusively to go on-line. The Globe's Christine Dobby writes it may be a small percentage, but it works out to 1.3 million people who have abandoned the conventional PC for Internet access. Revenue from wireless data is a growth engine for carriers; for example BCE's data revenue grew 24 per cent in the third quarter. However, exploding mobile Internet use means carriers must get by with a finite supply of spectrum. Plus, new entrants with ample spectrum for their relatively few customers are likely to try to win market share through aggressive, low pricing on data. That could force the Big Three to lower their per-unit prices on wireless data. Barclays Capital analyst Phillip Huang noted the current iPhone upgrade cycle is accelerating the adoption of LTE or fourth-generation service. LTE users tend to consume twice as much data as those using older HSPA or 3G networks. Carriers want to encourage customers to access the Internet and watch video, but they also want to charge a premium for that use.