Three Customers Use 5GB A Month As 4G Coverage Reaches 75 Percent
Traffic on Three’s mobile network has risen by 1,100 percent over the past five years
Data traffic on Three’s mobile network has risen by a massive 1,100 percent over the past five years as customers take advantage of the speeds afforded by 4G to use data-intensive applications.
The company says the average data consumer per user has jumped to 5GB, a significant year-on-year increase from 3.3GB and a huge rise from the 500MB average in 2010.
Three now has 10.79 million customers, a five percent increase from the 10.29 billion it had at the end of 2014, and the firm claims its network carries 42 percent of all British mobile data activity.
Three 4G
The operator’s 4G network now covers three quarters of the UK population, while one million customers are using its VoLTE service and three million people are benefiting from the ‘Feel at Home’ offer, which allows customers to use their UK call, text and data allowances in certain countries.
Average Feel at Home data use is now 3GB per customer, up from 1.6GB at the end of 2014. Revenues for 2015 increased by six percent to £2.2bn.
“We continue to focus on delivering a quality customer experience and addressing the issues that frustrate consumers,” said Three CEO Dave Dyson. “We’ve worked hard to tackle high roaming charges and we’re committed to building on our progress to improve indoor coverage.”
Three’s parent company Hutchison has agreed to buy O2 from Telefonica for £10.25bn, but faces a battle to receive approval. The takeover is currently being reviewed by the European Commission (EC) and the UK Competitions and Market Authority (CMA) has asked for permission to investigate amid fears that the reduction of four mobile operators to three will significantly impact the market.
Ofcom CEO Sharon White has suggested the regulator opposes the deal, arguing it could result in higher prices, poorer levels of service and damage competition on the high street.
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