How much data are you averaging per month?

If you have ever been curious how much data are Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile or Sprint using by cellular and plan type usage, the latest AppOptix report by research firm Strategy Analytics brings us the answer to that pressing question. Not that it comes as a huge surprise, but folks on the cheapest unlimited mobile data plans - those of T-Mobile and Sprint - are using much more bytes than those on the "expensive" carriers like Verizon or AT&T.

As you can see from the graphs below, T-Mobile subscribers are the absolute leaders in monthly data usage among all four major US carriers, with about 5GB on average, followed by Sprint at about 4GB, Verizon at 3.5GB, and, finally, AT&T with the extremely modest for today's standards less than 2GB. This is for cellular data, but Wi-fi usage distribution gives us a similar picture, with T-Mobile and Verizon users almost on par, followed by AT&T this time, and then Sprint.

When broken down by plan type, the users on unlimited are using almost twice the average amount of data than those with monthly quotas, while the pay-as-you-go crowd are only a fraction of the consumption. Given that "data prioritization" aka throttling kicks in at much higher thresholds on all carriers, especially T-Mobile, those average numbers look pretty modest to us anyway, but let's not forget that they include all subscribers, even those without data plans, or with data cap limitations, hence the lower monthly outlays. Where does your own consumption fit in here?

How much mobile data do you consume a month per line on average?

Less than 5GB

27.99%

5GB-10GB

21.33%

More than 10GB, but less than 20GB

19.29%

20GB-30GB

13.31%

More than 30GB, but less than 50GB

8.09%

50GB or more

9.98%

source: Fierce Wireless

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.