Three: 97% of all traffic on network is data

There has been a lot of talk as of late about the mobile spectrum auction that was first announced by Ofcom earlier this year. Mobile data demand has grown ever since mobile devices surged in popularity over the past few years. Devices such as the Apple iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy Tab, and most smartphones nowadays with WiFi capability have all contributed to such demand.

In fact, Ericsson reported recently that mobile data demand has doubled in the past twelve months as a whole, although the amount of data a user goes through depends largely on the device that he or she is using: “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.”

The 4G spectrum auction will be able to address such mobile data demands by allowing networks to operate on more bands. However, Ofcom had moved to postpone the auction once more from early next year to sometime in the second half of 2012. This announcement was greeted with disappointed from Three UK, who had earlier expressed that they would soon run out of capacity if the auction falls through, because unlike competitors O2, Vodafone, and Everything Everywhere, the network did not have any spare spectrum to fall back on.

David Dyson, Three’s chief executive, talked about the provider’s stand at a press briefing held in London last September: “There is a huge financial incentive for rival operators to delay the auction. We are worried that the other three will attempt to squeeze us out of the market.”

However, today Three UK revealed that over 97% of the data that is being transmitted through its networks. The carrier stated that during the past 14 months, from June 2010 to September 2011, Three saw an increase of 427% in terms of data usage for its smartphone customers.

The director of network strategy at Three, Phil Sheppard, stated: “Downloading apps, streaming movies, getting around town with Google Maps, even checking in on Facebook – it all adds up, and you’re doing it now more than ever.” He explains that the operator’s focus has always been primarily on providing users with enhanced online experiences as Three’s 3G network was made specifically for mobile Internet.

Source – Telecoms