Data use on cell phones up 50%

For the first time, the majority of cellphone users access data services. That’s driven a 50 percent increase in the average data use across all users.

A forthcoming study by Validas shows 53 percent of all cellphone subscribers are data users, up from 42 percent last year. The average data usage per subscriber is not 145.8MB a month compared with 96.8MB a month last year. Most of that is simply the result of more data users, though it does suggest those with data capabilities are using slightly more each month.

There’s a lot of attention paid to AT&T’s iPhone data plans, particularly the withdrawal of unlimited plans, but it turns out that the device doesn’t rack up the most data use on average. Instead Verizon’s users have the higher average data use. The study shows the average Verizon smartphone owner uses 428MB a month, compared with 338MB for the iPhone.