Mobile - Data bandwidth usage continued rapid rise with 77% growth in H1 2011

[allot] Allot Communications Ltd., a leading supplier of service optimization and revenue generation solutions for fixed and mobile broadband service providers worldwide, announced today that its H1 2011 Allot MobileTrends Report shows that mobile data bandwidth usage continued its steady rise with 77% growth during the first half (H1) of 2011 based on data collected from Allot’s worldwide mobile operator customers.

The H1 2011 Allot MobileTrends Report found that video streaming continued to show significant growth with a 93% increase, and remains the single largest application taking up bandwidth, accounting for 39% of mobile bandwidth. Although having limited impact on the total bandwidth, VoIP and IM have gained share to become the fastest growing application type with a 101% increase. This data is in line with the declining SMS/MMS revenue experienced by operators.

The H1 2011 Allot MobileTrends Report for the first time takes a closer look at trends in charging models among worldwide operators based on survey information gathered from over fifty worldwide mobile operators. The findings reveal that a growing number of operators are implementing application-aware charging models and most operators no longer offer ‘unlimited’ data plans.

Main findings include:

YouTube remains the single most popular mobile Internet destination, accounting for 22% of mobile data bandwidth usage and 52% of total video streaming
Apple’s App Store generates 84% of overall app store download traffic, while Google’s Android Market accounts for 13
Skype continues as the undisputed VoIP market leader with 82% of mobile VoIP bandwidth, although its market share has been slightly reduced by newcomers such as Viber
Twitter and Facebook grew by 297% and 166%, respectively
32% of the mobile operators surveyed worldwide have already implemented application-aware charging models
“OTT applications continue to shift the balance of power from the operators to the content and app providers,” said Rami Hadar, President and CEO of Allot Communications. “This presents a real challenge for survival to which operators have already begun to respond. We are seeing operators taking the opportunity to evolve their service plans, away from 'unlimited' and towards application-aware models, in order to meet this challenge."

The Allot MobileTrends Report data was collected from January 1 to June 30, 2011 from leading mobile operators worldwide with a combined user base of 250 million subscribers. Except for data regarding mobile charging trends, Allot gathered the data using the long term reporting capabilities of Allot NetXplorer, Allot’s centralized management and reporting system. The length of the collection period allows for increased accuracy in the identification of usage trends and patterns, reducing the influence of temporary events in the monitored networks. Information on mobile charging trends is based on a survey of more than fifty mobile broadband providers worldwide. The information gathered is publicly available on operators' websites.

Allot MobileTrends Report Shows Significant 77% Growth in Mobile Data Bandwidth Usage in H1, 2011