Mobile data traffic now bigger than voice

Mobile data passed 140,000 terabytes a month in December 2009

The consumption of mobile data surpassed that of voice for the first time last year, according to new research into global mobile networks by telecoms service provider Ericsson.

The firm said at the CTIA Wireless 2010 conference in Las Vegas that the amount of data traffic had grown by 280 per cent over the past two years to reach 140,000 terabytes a month by December 2009.

Ericsson explained that this shift means that mobile data traffic being sent over 3G networks is now higher than on 2G networks, and that the amount of data traffic is expected to double every year for the next five years.

The figures represent a significant milestone in the rise of mobile data, which will continue to accelerate, according to Ericsson chief executive Hans Vestberg.

"With 400 million mobile broadband subscriptions now generating more data traffic than voice traffic around the world, our view that the appeal of anywhere, anytime connectivity would drive mobile broadband growth is confirmed, " he said.

Angel Ruiz, president of Ericsson in North America, added that the explosion in the use of mobile data is forcing operators to upgrade their networks to cope with demand.

The growing number of smartphones on the market, and the rise of social networking sites like Facebook, are the primary causes for the rapid mobile data growth, he said.

Underlining this, Ericsson pointed to a recent study of 4,580 mobile internet users which found that 80 per cent expect mobile broadband access at all times, regardless of location.

Cisco said in February that mobile data will hit 3.6 exabytes a month, or 40 exabytes a year, by 2014, according to its Visual Networking Index on mobile data use.