Mobile data use triples in the past year

Mobile subscriptions worldwide now number more than five billion

Figures released by Ericsson show that mobile data use has almost tripled in the past 12 months.

Global data traffic had reached nearly 225,000 terabytes per month by the second quarter of the year.

Only 10 per cent of mobile owners have a data plan, but the volume of traffic from such services has exceeded that of voice since the end of 2009.

"The growth and benefits of mobile broadband are undeniable," said Hakan Eriksson, president and chief technology officer of Ericsson Silicon Valley.

"The business model for mobile broadband is becoming one of increasing profitability and competitive differentiation through superior quality of service. Mobile broadband is transforming the way we communicate and prosper as a society."

Ericsson recently installed its two millionth base station, just over three years after passing the million mark which took 20 years to reach.

The company said that there are over five billion mobile subscriptions worldwide, and predicted that 50 billion connected devices will be in operation by 2020.