back to article Fixed networks to sag under weight of mobile data: Cisco VNI

Cisco's latest Visual Networking Index (VNI), its annual analysis of current and future bit flows, has hit the wires and it confirms what most people already consider a given: mobile access is continuing to grow, both in terms of volume and in terms of users. The VNI states that mobile connection speeds are also on the rise, …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Holmes

    The 2-iPhone craze

    One thing I've noticed recently at meetings is that the iPhone users are pulling out 2 iPhones each and monkeying with them both throughout the meetings. I assume that one is a work iPhone and one is a personal iPhone.

    I would imagine that this kind of 2-phone usage per person will massively increase the amount of data flowing on the networks.

    1. ARP2

      Re: The 2-iPhone craze

      There might be some incremental increase, but it's not significant. How much extra data is being used if you have one phone ping 2-3 separate email accounts or 1 phone each pinging 1 account each. The Net overall data usage isn't that much higher.

      1. Trevor_Pott Gold badge

        Re: The 2-iPhone craze

        Actually, 2 iPhones each would drive data usage quite a bit. What uses the data? Updates. I've done the legwork on this, and app updates + OS updates account for something like 40% of data consumed. Increasing dramatically is browser usage, as people pull down higher and higher res images while browsing. Oddly enough, streaming isn't that big, as most people seem to only do that while at home/work where there is Wifi.

        The updates eat the data plan, I suspect, because they trigger on a time basis, not a "what am I connected to" basis. So if the update trigger goes while you're on the bus, then the apps auto-update. Also, there's a bizarre thing in my studies where people pulling OTA OS updates seem to do it first thing in the morning while waiting for the bus. They get bored, accept the update then fidget ceaselessly whilst waiting for the bus to arrive.

        Of course, my sample size is something like 50 units across 40 people, so consume the above with heaps of NaCl.

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