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State of the Screens

Wireless Industry Survey Shows Huge Yearly Increase In Mobile Data Usage

By July 18, 2019No Comments

Mobile data usage is exploding as U.S. carriers start to roll out 5G services.

Mobile data usage in the U.S., according to The CTIA (YoY growth):
1) 
2017 – 12.9T megabytes
2) 2018 – 28.6T megabytes (↑ 82%)

U.S. smartphone users:
1) 
2009 – 50M
2) 
2018 – 285M

Why does 5G matter?  Fifth-generation wireless is coming with speeds 10–100X faster than we have today.

Flashback: How 5G wireless will change pay-TV industry virtually overnight

What this means for the pay-TV industry: More competition. Cable companies are going into wireless (see Comcast) and wireless companies are going into pay-TV (see AT&T).

Big threat: If a wireless company like Verizon is able to offer fast home broadband delivered via mobile, then the number of home broadband options jumps from 1-2 to 4-5 overnight.

Remember: The majority of profit for pay-TV providers comes from selling broadband rather than the actual pay-TV service.

More #1: Where 5G’s Impact Is Already Being Felt

More #2: Here’s what to expect from the Big 4 carriers as Verizon, AT&T, and others battle for 5G dominance

More #3: The war for your internet connection

Michael Beach

Michael Beach is the Chief Executive Officer of Cross Screen Media, a media analytics and software company that enables marketers to plan, activate, and measure CTV and linear TV at the local level. Michael is also the founder and editor of State of the Screens, a weekly newsletter focused on video advertising that is a must-read for thought leaders in the advertising industry. He has appeared in such publications as PBS Frontline, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Axios, CNBC and Bloomberg, and on NPR’s Planet Money podcast.