Modern mobile devices can be used for many things, but the main use people give them today is to communicate. And communication is changing: According to a survey conducted byPortio Research in different countries, the main use people give to their mobile devices is voice calling and SMS/MMS. However, data comes closely after, as you may see in the chart below.
Data services have become so important that most customers rank them among the most important parameters to take into account when selecting a provider.
However, mobile network operators are experiencing a data demand so high that they are being forced to make great inversions in order to handle the ever increasing traffic. Mobile data services have significantly transformed the mobile market from a volume-based business to value-based business.
One of the key factors to account for the growth in mobile data usage is the decreasing cost per MB that it has been experiencing for a while now. Prices have been falling since 2008, and the average cost per MB nowadays is $0.03, although they are expected to reduce even further, reaching $0.01/MB by the end of 2015.