Mobile data usage - is 500MB enough?

bubblesmoney

it depends whether you use the phone on 3g or on wifi, if you use the phone on wifi for surfing / downloading then your mobile data usage wont be affected but your home broadband data usage will be affected.

also depends on what apps you use. if you use beebplayer on 3g then your monthly data limit may be exceeded in just a few hours. spotify for 30mins a day on 3g as per three website will set you back by 25mb. so multiply by 30days of doing that will exceed 750mb if you use 3g for listening to spotify for just 30mins a day.

if you use google navigation on 3g can eat up data, but if you start the journey calculations and initial download while on wifi and then start journey using 3g then your data use will be less.

if you use google earth a bit then that will EAT into your data.

just a few days ago on a single evening i managed to use up more than 120mb surfing. i dont download music, just see some gadget videos etc on websites or nursery rhymes for my child. some days i hardly use anything though so alot depends on how you use the phone. if you are out and about a lot with no access to wifi and use the net on the phone a lot then you will easily exceed the 500mb limit which is common now. or take the 3gb android limit if you buy an android phone / package directly from tmobile network or for 5£ extra addon you get additional 2gb from three.

atlantis187

Yesterday because I wasnt at home I watched the whole of the spain game and about 20mins of the south africa game on 3g via tvcatchup and today I watch the full second half of the argentina game.

So far I have used 915MB in just 2 days.

bubblesmoney

atlantis187 wrote: »

Yesterday because I wasnt at home I watched the whole of the spain game and about 20mins of the south africa game on 3g via tvcatchup and today I watch the full second half of the argentina game.

So far I have used 915MB in just 2 days.

guess you will be getting the exceeded limit text soon which ever network you are on, unless you have the tmobile 3gb limit package. but you will exceed that too in less than a week if you keep this going!

jb66

My big issue is they are calling 500mb unlimited, its far from it. I understand they need a fair use policy, but the target should at least be hard to achieve and 500mb simply isnt

missymoomoo

Thanks all for your input. I think the conclusion I have come is that I need as much data usage in my contract as possible, so I think for me this will rule out 02 as the lowest at 500MB.

Cheers!!

Exhortation

I would wait and see what 3 offer as - if the iPad is anything to go by - they will trounce anything offered by the other networks. The downside is that you'll probably have to sign a 2-year contract and their network isn't as good as they'd have you believe.

jsg2

I have been looking into this as well. I was considering vodafone with 1GB - but am now more tempted by O2's 500MB. Currently I am with Virgin Mobile - but I don't like the way they charge extortinate rates if you go over your internet data limit.

It sounds to me like 500MB is quite a lot - especially, if you have access to your own wi-fi networks at home and work. It sounds to me like you only need more if you are constantly going to use video / audio streaming over 3g.

O2 have also said that if you go over 500MB you won't be charged extra - but your internet will slow down. You can buy an extra 500MB for £5 to get the speed back. I know that my current supplier (Virgin Mobile) charges extorionate rates if you go over limit - so I would be much happier that this won't happen on O2.

Another thing with O2 is they offer unlimited BT Openzone and cloud wi-fi - which is good especially if you live in London, as I believe Boris Johnson and cloud have just agreed for the entire area within the M25 to be covered by cloud wi-fi in time for the Olympics in 2012 - so 3g internet access would be irrelevant! Some of the other networks offer BT openzone wi-fi, but I believe this is not as well covered as the cloud wi-fi network.