4G uses more data than 3G

[Anonymous]

I upgraded to the O2 4G service and now less than half way through the month I have used up my 1GB of data. Now I know what you will think "you dowloaded more data this month". Well actually this is afr from the truth. I have not used the phone any different from how I used it in the last 24 months on 3G. And during the last 24 months my iGB data usage has never been fully used. 

OK, so I know I have not done anything different (apart from now it's 4G and not 3G) - so does that mean that 4G uses up your data quicker. 

This month, I have NOT downloaded any videos or audios, I have not used skype on teh 4G network, and used any data hungry application.

Anyone else have experienced this?

[MI5]

You won't get a reply from o2 here as it's a customer forum....
But you can have my answer for what it's worth?
In theory, 3g and 4g use the exact same amounts of data, as you say a 2gb file is still 2gb regardless, however, as you can do more in less time, we find that people stay on line longer and therefore that is one way that more data is used.
Secondly, you have to consider data compression.
The compression ratio used by O2 is less on 4g than 3g so it will use more data (that 2gb file is no longer 2gb).
Finally, people are doing more with their phones as it is more convenient, thus using more data than they did previously.
HTH

[jonsie]

^^^^ wot he said!

[Cleoriff]

---

@MI5 wrote:
You won't get a reply from o2 here as it's a customer forum....
But you can have my answer for what it's worth?
In theory, 3g and 4g use the exact same amounts of data, as you say a 2gb file is still 2gb regardless, however, as you can do more in less time, we find that people stay on line longer and therefore that is one way that more data is used.
Secondly, you have to consider data compression.
The compression ratio used by O2 is less on 4g than 3g so it will use more data (that 2gb file is no longer 2gb).
Finally, people are doing more with their phones as it is more convenient, thus using more data than they did previously.
HTH

---

Very informative @MI5  The only thing I didn't understand was HTH?

[jonsie]

Hope this helps....

[Cleoriff]

---

@jonsie wrote:

Hope this helps....

---

Needs to stop talking in txtspk then....

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys, I appreciated that the higher speed of download could effect data used as you can get more stuff downloaded in the same time, However, I now fully understand all the things you've mentioned above including the HTH, which is just another way of compression, so you can get more in for less at a lower quality and you then need the translation medium, in this case your brain. I did not realise the compression levels were different between 3G and 4G, so have learnt something useful.

When web browsing on the move you dont always want, or need HI definition, so why waste data in this way. Perhaps one of you knows more about the devices available, or the operating systems on these than I, so can tell me if there are ways of controling the level of compression by altering the phone or tablet settings? 

Regards,

Rob

[MI5]

Compression is applied automatically to downloads that are data intensive so for normal web browsing you don't need to do anything (additional data compression settings are available in some web browsers such as Chrome though if you wish to use them), however, if you want compression off for downloading live streams etc just change your apn to "bypass" which will stream at full speed.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the additional data, I was hoping there was some way of altering the compression within the device to degrade the download quality hence the amount of data used to download and possibly speed up the process.

[MI5]

---

@Anonymous wrote:
I was hoping there was some way of altering the compression within the device to degrade the download quality hence the amount of data used to download and possibly speed up the process.

---

That is what the o2 system aims to do automatically. You need to use the bypass apn if you don't want it.

[Anonymous]

Message understood now, I'll have to try that when I get the new 4G phone. Thanks

Rob