How much data are Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint subs wasting with which apps? Here's the breakdown

by Daniel Petrov / Jan 27, 2017, 3:56 AM

How much data are Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint subs wasting with which apps? Here's the breakdown

What happens when research firm Strategy Analytics marries their AppOptix real-time intelligence platform of mobile users' demographics, with consulting company P3's running data on US carrier data consumption? Well, a pretty good overview of how much data are Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint subs consuming for the past Q4 quarter, and which apps are the culprits behind all that bit- and byte-binging.

It turns out that Verizon's users have been most frugal with their mobile or Wi-Fi data consumption, and it's the only carrier whose disciples use less than 100MB of traffic a day on average when not on Wi-Fi. Could it be the plans' prices, or the more robust zero-rated collection of the others? We'll never know, and the other main piece of info in the charts below pegs those apps most responsible for the data plan carnage.

Surprise, surprise, it's Facebook and YouTube alternating the first and second data hog places, with Netflix, Hulu or Chrome scooping up the third. Well, T-Mobile's users are also wasting a lot of time on Instagram, too, while Verizon's mobile data gets eaten by Twitch quite a bit, but nothing gets even close to what we splurge on Facebook and YouTube, it seems.

Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint Q4 data consumption breakdown by apps and MB

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source: Fierce Wireless

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14 Comments

1. snatchlax17

Posts: 52; Member since: Dec 07, 2010

Verizon is the only company without a currently available unlimited-esque plan. Not to mention the cost of it's data buckets, I would say attributes to how little Verizon users are on Mobile Data compared to Wi-Fi, compounded with the overages they charge. Their new plans DO have the safety switch as well as rollover which may cause a change in this usage.

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 7:11 AM 0

2. Jeradiah3

Posts: 1149; Member since: Feb 11, 2010

Right.............their WiFi usage is quite up there. I have T-Mobile and I can say that I dont use WiFi as much as I did when I had AT&T

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 7:25 AM 1

12. snatchlax17

T-mobile's unlimited offerings prior and now definitely makes the hunt for WiFi unnecessary. Having VZW unlimited I barely turn on WiFi and enjoy that feeling.

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 1:09 PM 1

14. Joshua9007

Posts: 94; Member since: Jun 08, 2012

I don't know if this takes into consideration the total connections or just smartphones. If it is total connections, there are many people who have tablets on their shared data plans, meaning they shift from one device to another, but would otherwise be possibly using the same data on one device. Also if it counts total connections, since VZW had the most total sq.mi. covered, the have a larger percentage of basic phones that use nominal amounts of data (if any) thus possibly this is also bringing down the average. Overall their pricing (and fear of overages) keep many of my friends and family asking for the wifi password wherever we go. So this probably contributes the most, but from my Mobile retail days I remember the tablet add on goals and percentage of flip & slide phones for those who WOULD NOT get a smartphone.

posted on Feb 02, 2017, 12:24 PM 0

3. KingSam

Posts: 1448; Member since: Mar 13, 2016

Its silly how Facebook is Rivaling YouTube in data usage. A video streaming site vs...... I don't even what Facebook is anymore.

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 7:47 AM 4

4. ShadowHammer

Posts: 204; Member since: Mar 13, 2015

I found that curious as well. I suppose all the pictures and videos people post could add up, but you wouldn't think it compares to YouTube. Maybe it's the always on, looking for new stuff feature that drains the data?

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 8:35 AM 1

7. Rampage_Taco

Posts: 1060; Member since: Jan 17, 2017

Facebook is constantly being refreshed as people scroll through. Add on top of that pictures and auto-play videos in 2/3rds of the posts and now with Facebook Live, its no surprise its so heavily used.

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 9:44 AM 0

11. snatchlax17

Facebook sucks as an app. I decided to nix it from my phone and haven't looked back.

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 1:06 PM 0

13. trublackrose

Posts: 45; Member since: Apr 14, 2015

Seeing how there are no Porn Sites listed in this data usage, I can't believe their numbers.

posted on Jan 28, 2017, 12:41 AM 0

5. civicsr2cool

Posts: 269; Member since: Oct 19, 2016

I push 80+gb a month on youtube alone, how can these people only use 100mb a day lol

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 8:49 AM 0

6. libra89

Posts: 2281; Member since: Apr 15, 2016

Wow this is really interesting.

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 9:24 AM 0

8. Rampage_Taco

I like how Chrome, Android Browser, and Internet by Samsung are all on here but you don't see Safari. Also I'm surprised that Pandora or Spotify aren't on the list either, I would assume they would be more used over Google Play Music

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 9:45 AM 0

9. Bernoulli

Posts: 4360; Member since: Sep 01, 2012

I use around 120 gbps thanks to t mobile and undetectable tethering via continuum and lumia 950 xl, I can't imagine using 3 gb a month, that's what I have for breakfast.

posted on Jan 27, 2017, 9:52 AM 0

10. DnB925Art

Posts: 1168; Member since: May 23, 2013

Thank goodness I still have a grandfathered data plan on Sprint. I stream a ton of YouTube and watch a lot of live sports on my phone so I use a ton of data.