1pc of smartphone users generate half world’s mobile data traffic

6 Jan 2012

Just 1pc of smartphone owners are consuming half the world’s mobile data. iPhone 4S users have emerged as the hungriest data consumers, demanding twice as much data as iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G users.

Network management software vendor Arieso warns that the capacity issues plaguing mobile operators around the world will worsen in 2012.

The Arieso study, “Recent Smartphone Trends & the Extreme Data User”, compares data usage across a variety of smartphones and connected devices.
It finds that users of the iPhone 4S demand three times as much data as iPhone 3G users and twice as much as iPhone 4 users, who were identified as the most demanding in the 2010 study. In a finding consistent with 2010 results, it also shows that Google Nexus One users make twice as many data calls as iPhone 3G users.

“The introduction of increasingly sophisticated devices, coupled with growing consumer demand, is creating unrelenting pressure on mobile networks,” Dr Michael Flanagan, the report’s author explained.

“The capacity crunch is still a very real threat for mobile operators, and it looks set to only get harder in 2012.

“The mobile industry needs new investment and new approaches to boost network performance and manage the customer experience.”

Data-hungry smartphones

The Arieso analysis compares the data consumption of users of the latest smartphones against the iPhone3G as a “normalised benchmark”. The study found that different users and different devices exhibit very different demands on the network.

The most significant change in consumer behaviour between 2010 and 2011 data has been catalysed by the introduction of the iPhone 4S.

iPhone 4S users download 2.76 times as much data as users of the iPhone 3G. And while an Android-powered device maintains last year’s position at the top of the table for uplink data volumes, with HTC Desire S users typically uploading 3.23 times as much data as iPhone 3G users, the iPhone 4S falls just behind in this category with a typical 3.20 times as much data uploaded.

Despite stark industry warnings, mobile operators are still playing ‘Guess Who?’ with their subscribers,” continued Flanagan.

“Without adequately preparing networks to support the new generation of smart devices, operators risk spiralling and misplaced operational expenditure and delivering a sub-par quality of experience to customers. It’s critical that operators redouble their efforts to limit the impact of this inevitable squeeze.”