Mobile data usage with Three surges at home and abroad

Three’s mobile customers are now using 220 per cent more data when travelling in the European Union since the passing of roaming regulations a year ago.

Some 37 per cent of mobile users across all networks separately told a survey commissioned by Three that they believed they were using more mobile data while in the EU since the introduction last year of "roam like at home" rules that effectively prevent operators from levying surcharges for temporary roaming.

A similar proportion of mobile users also reported using more mobile data on home soil, the Three Connected Ireland Report found, with more than half of respondents aged 16 to 24 believing they were using more data.

The findings were based on a survey of 1,000 smartphone users conducted by Amárach Research.

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The Three network has also reported a 51 per cent increase in data traffic since this time last year.

"It's interesting to see that Ireland's digital evolution is continuing at pace, with access to data on smartphones becoming an increasingly integral part of everyday life," Three Ireland chief executive Robert Finnegan said.

Booking holidays

When planning holidays, 30 per cent will now book breaks using their mobile, although this is still lower than the 50 per cent who use their laptop. Younger age groups are more keen on booking holidays on mobiles, with just 14 per cent of people aged 55 and over doing so.

One third of those surveyed have used their mobile to leave a review on a website such as Tripadvisor after visiting a restaurant or hotel, with 25 to 34-year-olds the group most likely to do so.

One fifth of respondents, meanwhile, use their smartphone to purchase goods or services online two or three times per month, while 9 per cent shop on their mobile weekly, and 15 per cent buy online using their mobile once a month. About one third of online shoppers spend as much as €30 each month via their mobile, the research found.