Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

UK - O2 Data Usage Survey

NightFox

NightFox

macrumors 68040
Original poster
May 10, 2005
3,455
5,018
Shropshire, UK
On one hand we've got O2 saying that only 3% of their customers will be affected by their new data capping at 500MB per month, but on the other hand there seem to be a LOT of people on here who reckon they regularly get through that much in just a few days.

I thought it would be interesting to do a quick survey and maybe challenge what O2 are saying. So please post below with your average monthly data usage. One way of getting your phone's lifetime data usage is to go to Settings>General>Usage and look at 'Cellular Data Network'. Divide the 'Sent" figure by the number of months you've had your iPhone (this value is not cleared when you reset your phone or restore from a backup, only when you use the 'Reset Statistics' button).

It would also be useful if you provided a general description of your 3G usage habits on an average day.

I'll admit that these results will be slightly skewed as the tech-savvy people on here will probably use more than the average iPhone user, but it should still only be a small minority who use more than 3% if O2's statement is correct.
 
356mb in 22 months... i guess i'm not going to be affected, lol.

Would be nice if O2 fixed their sms service though, as i'm constantly getting late and/or lost txt's from people! O2 says there must be a problem my end, but 4 phones & 3 sims later, it's still happening..
 
O2 provide monthly usage data in the online bill. I use around 50MB a month, mostly due to business email.
I find myself unconsciously trying to avoid using too much, despite 'unlimited' and using so little, incase I hit some random unpublished fair use policy.
 
I went through my online billing yesterday right back to 2008 and I've never even reached 400 MB in a month.

Was quite amazed by that as I use my phone a lot.
 
I have just gone back through my mobile data usage on my online bills. In 15 months of bills I have never gone above 350Mb in a month. The average for me is about 200Mb.

I am amazed really, I use my phone for internet and data a lot. I really thought that I would be averaging at least 1Gb a month.
I guess websites are smaller than I thought they were?

Looks like the data cap isn't going to affect me.

I am however interested in seeing if the data cap means that we have to still pay extra for tethering though?
 
I've used 1.5GB in the last 12 months, an average of 129MB per month. The most I've used in a month so far is 145MB so I don't think I'd have a problem with the 500MB cap.

SayCheese said:
I am however interested in seeing if the data cap means that we have to still pay extra for tethering though?
Click to expand...

I don't see how they can justify any extra charge when we'll have a set limit on our data usage.
 
Whingers who doubt O2's claims re their customers Network usage should remember that such claims are covered by the Trades Description Act and O2 must have evidence in support of such claims.

Recently my iMac was down for nearly a month and I used my iPhone during this period - pretty heavy usage. I never managed to reach 500Mb.

As has already been said, it's easy to find out one's data usage - either via O2 or by resetting "Usage" in iPhone's "settings" on a monthly basis.
 
According to my iPhone, 2GB in the last 3 months. According to O2, about 500MB a week. And what do I do? Browse the net, check email, use a Twitter and Facebook client and once in a while I watch the odd Youtube video or download the odd app.

I simply have to be unlimited or a higher cap. With an iPhone, I don't see how I'm supposed to stay under the 500MB a month cap.

Oh, and please take note of the clever use of words by O2. They didn't say 97% of iPhone customers use less than 500MB a month. They said 97% of O2 customers. This includes my gran with her call-and-text-and-do-nothing-else phone she can barely use. I went to the O2 shop and the staff there agreed they probably meant all O2 customers. Do 97% of iPhone customers use less than 500MB? Not a chance. I know loads of people who use their iPhones often like I do and they don't just check mail and browse. I know people who stream videos and music non-stop.
 
I got very upset when i found out about the new cap but last night remembered that at home or work i use WiFi so only actually use data whilst on the move

I suspect a lot of people are the same so may be surprised at how little data they use
 
Looking at my O2 bills in the last 8 months I've used between 160 and 220Mb each month. Only twice have I gone over 200Mb.

I'd call myself a heavy user but I have Wifi at home and work.

I'm perfectly happy with the new O2 limits as long as they let me use my 500Mb however I want ie. not charging extra for tethering.

I can't see any way they could justify charging you for a set amount of data and then trying to charger you extra for using it to tether.
 
I did similar, i went through my online bills (which took ages, O2 need to make the process easier) and looked at my data usage and I never went over more than around 400Mb so i'm not too fussed about capped data. I found that strange since i considered myself a heavy user, but clearly not. So i think i'll just stick with O2.
 
Jomni said:
I did similar, i went through my online bills (which took ages, O2 need to make the process easier) and looked at my data usage and I never went over more than around 400Mb so i'm not too fussed about capped data. I found that strange since i considered myself a heavy user, but clearly not. So i think i'll just stick with O2.
Click to expand...

Im on my o2 account online at the moment, where on earth can I find out my data usage? Its really confusing?!
 
I've used 700Mb since January so i don't think i'm worrying.
I have ubiquitous wifi it seems
 
RichardLynch said:
Im on my o2 account online at the moment, where on earth can I find out my data usage? Its really confusing?!
Click to expand...

If you select "My Bill" then click "what i've used" and select data. you'll need to do each month individually

Sorry, select "UK Browse and Download"
 
I have averaged about 400MB pm over my last 6 bills (excluding foreign usage). I have a tiny Facebook addiction.
 
RichardLynch said:
Im on my o2 account online at the moment, where on earth can I find out my data usage? Its really confusing?!
Click to expand...

Log on, click My Bill then click on Previous Bills.

Select the bill you want to check, then click What I've Used.

Select usage type UK browse and download and you'll get that months usage in KB.
 
1.2gb last month, 670mb the month before, 424mb up to now this month with 9 days of this billing cycle left. I probably couldn't live with a 500mb cap which is why I'm shopping around.
 
Before you base your readings on what your iPhone usage view reads, I'd recommend you check online, looking at what you've used on past bills (recent charges for current month).

My phone read about 200MB (combined) over about 6 months, however O2 suggest that up to now, I've use just under that figure (on average) every month.
 
My first reaction to this was "WTF 500MB your having a laugh o2."

I looked back over 10 months on my o2 data usage and the most I used in any single month was 212MB which surprised me to be honest.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back