Social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace and Bebo, are important catalysts to drive traffic on the mobile Internet, as average mobile users check their profiles more than eight times a day, according to new research, Brand Republic reported.

According to Orange, 640,000 of its users access social networking on mobile devices, contributing 166 million page impressions every month.

Gains on mobile users with 3G broadband networks were also huge since July, according to Orange, with additional 1.3 million 3G customers, which was up 86 percent.

Currently there are 2.9 million Orange customers under the 3G network, Brand Republic reported.

"The popularity of mobile Internet continues to rise and our customers now use the service as part of day-to-day life," said Paul Jevons, director of products, portals and services for Orange. "Daily repeat customers are up 12 percent since the last report - in part this is due to the rise in social networking as customers regularly update their online statues and log-on to stay up to speed on friends' news and gossip."

Orange mobile users accessing social networking have boosted by 40 percent since July and monthly page views by over 57 percent.

"Mobile is no longer simply a channel for brands to deliver packaged content in a manner of their choosing," Jevons added. Instead, it "has become a truly interactive channel that fosters the formation of communities through social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo," Brand Republic reported.