The findings were included in Three UK’s ‘Mobile Britain 2022’ report, which also showed that 5G data carried on Three’s network is now more than double that of 3G. In addition, Three UK has predicted that 5G will account for 35 per cent of data usage by the end of 2022.
Carlo Melis, chief network officer at Three UK, said, “5G has taken off like never before and it’s telling that it has now surpassed 3G data usage on our network. Superfast connectivity is the future for our customers – with sport and entertainment streaming two of the key drivers of data surges in the last year.
“To keep up with the demand for data, we are investing more than £2bn in transforming our network and IT infrastructure, with 5G now live in over 370 locations covering a third of the UK population.”
The report also found that phone calls are becoming more of a focus. During the first lockdown, voice calls peaked at record highs and over the course of 2020, calls averaged 16 per cent longer in length.
The trend has continued throughout 2021 as the number and total minutes of calls both increased. 2022 is set to be the year of the phone call with two in five (39 per cent) now preferring calling to texting and a third (30 per cent) making more audio calls than pre lockdown.
The full report can be read here.