Globe’s mobile data traffic increases amid rising smartphone usage

Mobile data traffic for Globe Telecom has increased by 44 percent in 2016 to 361 petabytes (PB) from 252 PB the previous year as smartphone penetration reached 61 percent last year due to rising Internet usage of Filipinos through their mobile devices. (Photo: Globe Telecom/Facebook)

MANILA—Mobile data traffic for Globe Telecom has increased by 44 percent in 2016 to 361 petabytes (PB) from 252 PB the previous year as smartphone penetration reached 61 percent last year due to rising Internet usage of Filipinos through their mobile devices.

Globe explained that the significant increase on mobile traffic was brought about by its aggressive network enhancement to boost capacities and expand coverage.

“This validates Globe Telecom’s position as the country’s top mobile company and as the network of choice by smartphone users,” Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu said in a statement.

“Our efforts are bearing fruit and we expect mobile internet experience to improve further moving forward as we continue with the aggressive deployment of LTE sites in major cities, thereby, providing better indoor signal and larger capacity,” he added.

A special report by the social media management platform Hootsuite and UK-based consultancy firm We Are Social disclosed that more Filipinos are accessing the Internet through their mobile devices.

According to the report, the total mobile subscription is now at 129.4 million as of January 2017, a 9 percent increase from a year earlier based on a total country population of 103 million. It also said that 60 million or 58 percent of the total population have access to the internet, a 27 percent increase from a year earlier, while 54 million are active mobile social users, up by 32 percent from the previous year.

Moreover, increasing share of web traffic by device indicates that Filipinos accessing mobile Internet has steadily grown which were broken down as follows: Laptops & desktops, 56 percent, down by 13 percent from a year earlier; Mobile phones, 38 percent up by 31 percent from a year earlier; and tablet devices, 6 percent lower by 7 percent from a year earlier.

The average Internet speed via mobile connections is 13 megabits per second (Mbps) while the average internet speed via fixed connections is at 4.1 Mbps. Based on users’ self-reported activity, 50 percent of the country’s population use mobile messengers, 57 percent watch videos on mobile, 47 percent play games on mobile, 30 percent use mobile banking, and 39 percent use mobile map services.

The report also said that as of January 2017, Filipinos spent an average of 4 hours and 17 minutes per day on social media sites such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter based on active monthly users from social media companies.