SYDNEY, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Australia is riding a mobile broadband boom with the number of citizens using a smartphone rising by 29 percent from May 2012 to May 2013, while the number using the Internet via their mobile phone surging 33 percent, a new research released on Thursday revealed.
Figures released by the Washington-based Progressive Policy Institute (PPI) show that the mobile broadband industry boosted Australia's economic activity by 34 billion Australian dollars (31. 7 billion U.S. dollars) last year.
The PPI also discovered as the surge in smartphone use increased, so has the app development industry, which now employs more than 140,000 workers.
"It's astonishing how fast many companies have embraced the App Economy, hiring the workers needed to develop mobile applications at a rapid rate. We are seeing the creation of new specialties and new ways to interact with customers and employees," the PPI report said.
The report noted the surge in tech job growth had occurred since the availability of Apple and Android devices in Australia in 2008.
PPI said Australia ranks well against the United States and the United Kingdom when it comes to app economy employment per capita and had outperformed the U.S. and UK in the "tech/info" and computer systems design sectors since 2008.
Employment in the Australian computer systems design industry has risen by more than 38 percent since 2008, compared to a 22 percent gain in the U.S. and only a 10 percent in the United Kingdom.
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