The unbearable fleetingness of the rate of one-gig data in mobile

No doubt the sector where prices have fallen more in recent years is the mobile phone. The falling price of calls has been more than palpable, now reaching the ground zero cents per minute (the lightest setting is) or to offer unlimited calls, but evolution in the appearance of the data seems to be so clear. Abandoned war by having the cheapest price per minute war now should focus on having the best rates for data, but traders are actually fighting each other for having the cheapest Giga? Or are looking to spend more with slow speeds increasingly lower and “attractive” bonds extra data?

309 MB per month, users of all types

Although the latest official data provided the CNMC, to each mobile phone user consumed 309 MB per month on average, it is certain that the demand for data is growing in our rates. In addition to having grown the monthly average, the data refer to the second quarter of 2013; with respect to the use of data each user is different. That average includes both those users who only hired for a fee to be able to have Internet instant messaging applications anywhere but in your home or work WiFi pull even the most intensive users, exceeding the giga month traffic and are, or were until recently largely overlooked by the companies.

Low aspect evolution in data

The operators offer has been evolving as smartphones were gaining ground in the market. Initially, it was customary rates along with voice lifetime, whether it was with inclusive minutes or price per minute, we could hire a voucher data could have different durations or even charge per session, something unthinkable today. But traders soon realized that the data was not something extra, but would to the fore up to move to paragraph voice tariffs. The best example of that voice is junking the current situation and that while it was previously common to find a wide range of rates that differed according to the price per minute or minute now including differentiation is found in the data capacity.

But now do a small review of the evolution of tariffs of the four operators with their own network and the best deals on virtual. So we will choose the most economical rate with bonus data included from the beginning of 2012 until these dates. As you can see in the above table in early 2012 than usual between the major operators was to provide a very small amount of data (100-150 MB) with monthly payments that exceeded 10 per month. The exception was Telstra, which by then offered 500 MB of eight euros per month plus tax, similar to that of multiple virtual supplies.

It was from the end of 2012 when we saw the first serious growth of coupon data going to supply all the major operators 500 MB, while Telstra increased its rate to 1 GB and Mobile Tuenti launched which for a time was the giga more economic market. The truth is that from late 2012 until now Movistar and Orange have maintained their lowest rate in 500 MB, like Vodafone but since early 2013 while Telstra has made a timid increase of data in its recent renewal rates and Virtual barely been able to reduce the price of the bond under 1 GB.

What happened to you in the last year and a half of data evolution has been so poor? It could be attributed to the war moved to price per minute for calls or have cheaper rate with unlimited calling. Or maybe also the operators have tried to seek the benefit of the data on the other hand, the decreasing bond reduced to consume data and the proliferation of new extra bonuses speed.

A dwindling reduced speed

Having little or no evolution of the aspect of mobile data tariffs is expected that at least the conditions imposed by the operators to sell out the bonds have not worsened over time. Sadly it was not so, and as we’ve seen in less than half a year period between July and November last year, the excess traffic conditions in both Orange and Vodafone Movistar as worse.

First it was Vodafone who flirted with the idea of spending to slow once consumed navigation data to directly require two euros for every extra 100 MB consumed. While the British operator was postponing the implementation of this policy, you may wait for you to any of its rivals joining the initiative, the more that founded rumors suggest that Movistar could take the same course.

Finally and in the absence of the addition of more followers, the change has occurred to pay excess in only some operators have suffered a great exodus of customers, Movistar and Vodafone withdrew their claims but not without leaving their mark. Movistar was the first that directly strangled the reduced speed, leaving it in a pyrrhic 16 kbps down, while Vodafone and Orange also reduced that rate to 32 kbps.

After all those speed changes the current situation is that of a small group of operators still offer a reduced rate up to 128 kbps, with Telstra in the lead, with a few virtual covered Orange and Vodafone reduced to 64 kbps, while the other major operators are divided into options that leave the user with a useless connection for many services. In the latter group are virtual they charge for excess data, in part because it forced that extra traffic to their rates would also have to pay your network provider.