Mobile data traffic continues to grow, doubling from the second quarter of 2010 to the second quarter of 2011, and users with modern, capable devices are increasingly using their smartphones to access the Internet.

The second quarter of 2011 displayed eight percent growth, which reflects seasonal fluctuation. In more detail, the mobile data growth patterns reveal that the quality of a smartphone affects which applications people use and the length of time they surf the mobile internet.

As defined by Ericsson, an active smartphone user generates more than 1 MB traffic per day. Factors including screen size, age and price of the smartphone have a stronger correlation with median traffic than OS. It is notable that in North America, high-end smartphones generate twice the traffic than comparable smartphones at the operators analyzed in Asia and Europe, according to findings of a new measurement from Ericsson, to be released as part of Akamai’s The State of the Internet report.

“Our market research confirms that high-end smartphone users are increasingly accessing the internet on their phones. This underscores the importance of having networks that are smart, scalable and provide superior performance to deliver on expected user experience,” said Johan Wibergh, head of Ericsson’s Business Unit Networks.

Among heavy users, the cumulative data generated by video is significantly higher than for other activities. The top 5 to 10 percent of smartphone users are willing to spend up to 40 minutes a day watching online video.  However, the average user spends about 30 seconds a day watching online video.

By Telecomlead.com Team
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