US consumers are finally embracing the concept of wireless data, according to research by InStat/MDR. The technology research firm says that nearly 54 percent of those it polled use some sort of wireless data service. High time, for connecting wirelessly to the Internet is a normal thing across the world.

In India people are willing to pay penny a minute to connect to the Internet using the Reliance Infocom’s 1xRTT service. In Europe, people are quite thrilled with EDGE and GPRS. But US had lagged behind, even in use of SMS and other messaging technologies. I have a feeling that the soon to be available (nationwide) Verizon’s DSL replacement wireless broadband and Nextel Wireless Broadband will sharply increase the wireless data usage in coming years.

There is money in wireless data – big money. In-Stat/MDR finds that wireless data customers use 42% more voice minutes than non-data users, in addition to spending an average of 19% more on their total wireless bill each month and 64% more on their current handset. The research group says that a greater-than-average adoption of wireless data usage among ethnic minorities, particularly Asian Americans and Hispanic Americans.