Zero-rated features change the way wireless customers connect to apps

A new report authored by Fierce Wireless and global consulting firm P3 finds that of the top four U.S. wireless operators, only T-Mobile subscribers spend more time using apps over a cellular network (175 minutes a day on average) than the time they spend using apps on Wi-Fi (160 minutes a day on average).

As you can see by perusing the accompanying charts, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint subscribers all spend more time using apps on Wi-Fi than on cellular. The reason for this obviously has to do with some of the zero-rated features that T-Mobile offers its subscribers such as Binge On and Music Freedom. The survey covers 6,000 smartphone users polled between January and August this year.
 
The stats also show that Facebook users tend to favor a cellular connection instead of Wi-Fi. It is the opposite for YouTube, even among T-Mobile subscribers.

Lastly, the data reveals that Wi-Fi's share of app use has been declining since the beginning of the year. In January, 60% of the time Verizon subscribers were using an app, it was done over Wi-Fi. In August, that dropped to 51.9%. That is a significant decline, but not as significant as what took place with Sprint customers. In January, Sprint subscribers used Wi-Fi for apps 56.2% of the time. By the end of August, Wi-Fi was used for apps 44.7% of the time. T-Mobile had the smallest decline in Wi-Fi usage for app use this year. In January, 39.7% of the time a T-Mobile customer used Wi-Fi for an app. By August, that figure was off just one percentage point to 38.7%


source: FierceWireless