It is amazing how wireless technology is changing our perspective of the Internet. It is not only shaping our outlook, but making our lives a tad easier. Long ago, who would have imagined that you could browse the Internet without having to connect to a modem?

According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Internet (Pew Internet & American Life Project), one-third of Internet users in the US connect to the Web using a wireless network through their laptop computer, handheld PDA, or cell phone, for performing simple tasks such as sending emails, checking the latest news, or reading other things.

The Pew Internet & American Life Project is non-profit initiative, which is free from party affiliation or bias. It is undertaken by the Pew Research Center, which does research on the social impact of the Internet. The project is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and takes no position on policy issues.

The survey shows that 20 percent of Internet users have wireless networks at their home, which is double the number recorded in January 2005. Wireless users, the survey finds, show great affinity towards cyberspace, while focusing on two basic online activities, email and news.

“We know that ‘always on’ broadband connections really deepen people’s relationship to the Internet; adding ‘on the go’ to the mix takes this a step further,” said John Horrigan, associate research director at the Pew Internet Project, in a press release. “The convenience of wireless access gives people the chance to fire off a quick e-mail to someone while waiting in a doctor’s office or check the news headlines on the way to work.”

It was noted during the survey that most wireless users (80%) access broadband from home. In addition, one in five (19%) internet users had wireless networks at home. Most wireless users log on from more than one of the places asked about in the survey.

The survey of the 798 Internet users has a tolerance of error in the range of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. Click here to see the results.

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Rahul Prabhakar is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To see more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.