New Global Research Demonstrates LTE Drives Up Cellular Data Consumption
Usage data from Mobidia's mega-panel shows LTE subscribers use more cellular data yet nearly half buy larger plans than needed
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Mobidia Technology Inc., a leading provider of mobile usage data, in collaboration with Ovum, a leading London-based analyst firm, today released new research and the latest update to its popular white paper series, "Smartphone & Tablet Usage Trends & Insights, 4G LTE and Wi-Fi Powering Data Consumption." The white paper offers insights into 2014 LTE and Wi-Fi usage trends from an extended analysis of the top LTE markets worldwide.
In just six years since its release, LTE has become one of the fastest-growing mobile technologies in history, with a total of half a billion global subscribers expected this year. Mobidia's latest analysis of LTE subscribers reveals a continued positive impact for the hundreds of mobile operators that have invested in LTE technology, and subscribers clearly value these faster speeds. In fact, LTE subscribers continue to use more cellular data and buy larger data plans than 3G subscribers. However, many also continue to purchase plans that are much larger than needed to cover their monthly usage. Finally, LTE subscribers continue to rely on Wi-Fi as their primary wireless connection, with over 80 percent of their monthly data consumption occurring on mostly Wi-Fi networks at home and at work.
The new research was informed by hundreds of thousands of LTE subscribers, and based on a data set spanning all 12 months of 2014 and covering 15 LTE markets, including the U.S., Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Germany, Kuwait, Japan, Mexico, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea and the U.K. The analysis highlights the following trends:
- iOS and Android smartphone users surpassed the 10 GB per user per month mark in December 2014 in terms of both Wi-Fi and cellular usage, consuming on average 10.9 GB and 10.3 GB respectively.
- Global Wi-Fi consumption on both operating systems represented 80.4 percent of all consumption this month.
- Android 4G smartphone subscribers averaged 2.4 GB of usage in December 2014—more than double the 1.1 GB of usage that 3G smartphone subscribers averaged that same month.
- 53 percent of 3G smartphone subscribers and 48 percent of 4G smartphone subscribers used only half or less of their data plan in December 2014.
"It's fascinating to see LTE continue to drive more cellular data consumption and how subscribers are reacting by purchasing plans that are actually larger than needed," said Chris Hill, senior vice president of marketing at Mobidia. "With these findings, it's not surprising that operators like T-Mobile and AT&T in the U.S. have moved toward roll-over plans. And given the global usage trends that Mobidia's mega-panel highlights, we expect operators in other regions to move in this same direction."
With a global set of data provided by millions of smartphone users, Mobidia is able to provide the mobile industry ecosystem with detailed, unique insights into real subscriber behavior surrounding data and application-specific usage on all networks to which smartphones and tablets connect, including mobile cellular (and LTE), roaming and Wi-Fi. In addition, Mobidia has penetration, engagement, usage and retention data on millions of apps in over 200 countries.
For more information about Mobidia's mobile data, please visit Mobidia's website, where you will find detailed white papers available for download.
Note to Editor:
Mobidia analyzed data collected January 2014 through December 2014 from hundreds of thousands of Android users in 15 of the leading, global LTE markets to analyze LTE usage trends. This data was collected on a strictly anonymous and optional basis from a sample of millions of users who have downloaded Mobidia's smartphone application, My Data Manager.
About Mobidia Technology Inc.
Mobidia is a leading mobile measurement and analytics provider with the largest global sample of smartphone and tablet users. Mobidia's mobile analytics and metrics platform provides unique insights into mobile usage trends on millions of mobile applications and mobile networks in 200 countries. Real usage from real users on both cellular and Wi-Fi networks provides a comprehensive and unique understanding of what people do and value in the mobile world. Don't settle for download and ranking data; leverage Mobidia's app penetration, engagement, usage and retention metrics to increase customer acquisitions, drive down churn, and increase engagement and revenues.
Mobidia is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia with local presence in the U.S. and Europe. For more information, visit www.mobidia.com or call +1-604-304-8640.
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SOURCE Mobidia Technology Inc.
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