ISPreview Survey Finds Heavy UK Internet Data Use Now Common

The latest ISPreview.co.uk survey of 1,241 internet users in the United Kingdom has revealed that 51.9% of respondents consumed more than 60GB (GigaBytes) of data over their broadband ISP connections each month, which is up from 37.6% two years earlier (here). Equally impressive is the growing amount of time that we all spend online.

Overall 64.7% of respondents to ISPreview.co.uk’s new poll agreed that their internet usage had increased since last year and the number who gobbled 5GB or less of data per month has fallen from 12.4% in 2011 to just 6.1% now. Elsewhere the poll also found that 67.8% of respondents spent 4 or more hours online per day.

By comparison Ofcom’s 2012 Infrastructure Report found that residential fixed line broadband customers were using an average of 23GB (GigaBytes) of data per month (up by 35% from 17GB in 2011).

How much broadband data do you consume per month (pick closest)?
60GB+ – 51.9%
I don’t know – 13.7%
40GB – 12.1%
20GB – 9.1%
10GB – 6.7%
5GB – 4.7%
1GB (GigaBytes) – 1.4%

Has your internet usage increased since last year?
Yes – 64.7%
No – 27.8%
I don’t know – 7.4%

How many hours do you spend online a day (pick closest average)?
8 Hours+ – 36.6%
4 to 8 Hours – 31.2%
2 to 4 Hours – 24.3%
1 to 2 Hours – 7.7%

Not so long ago anything above 30GB of data in a single month might have been considered “heavy use” but the times have changed and “unlimited” packages are now so common that most consumers no longer feel as if they have to be cautious downloaders. But ISPs that adopt this strategy will need to be careful because consumers, perhaps confused between the different approaches to samey “unlimited” promotions, are likely to start placing even more emphasis on service quality.

Meanwhile this month’s new survey asks how long it will be before you truly NEED speeds of 100Mbps and whether or not it’s better to rollout 30Mbps+ speeds to 95% of the UK population or 1000Mbps to 50% (this assumes the last 5-50% won’t get anything better than they do today)? Vote Here.