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Thanks, Netflix! We may all be using 20GB+ of monthly mobile data in five years

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By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Jun 01, 2016, 5:49 AM

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Thanks, Netflix! We may all be using 20GB+ of monthly mobile data in five years

According to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report, in a few years the average user in America will be consuming the whopping 22 GB of mobile data a month. While such a haul may seem unreachable for most at today's phone data plans, looking up to 2021 we may have a whole different ball game in terms of prices, with all those 5G rollouts and all.

It's also not hard to fathom such an increase - current average monthly consumption is much lower, but it has increased 60%, compared to the first quarter of last year, and will be increasing exponentially with about 45% annually, until we hit that sweet 22 GB spot five years from now.

Current teen members of the Generation Z, who don't know life before smartphones, are already hitting that threshold, if left to their own devices, complain their parents, so an average 20GB+ data consumption a month in five years seems totally reachable. The largest part in that traffic increase will be taken by video, of course, followed by social networking and music streaming.

Mobile data traffic outlook 2016-2021

source: Ericsson

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, 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.

Thanks, Netflix! We may all be using 20GB+ of monthly mobile data in five years

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