Personal Data Usage

[Kingfisher1]

Hi. How does a mobile phone provider calculate monthly personal data usage for a bill?  And how do they know if the data used is via WiFi or via mobile data? Hope that makes sense! Thank you in advance. 

[Cleoriff]

@Kingfisher1 

You only pay for Mobile Data, so that's what shows in your bill.

[pgn]

WiFi is split off to your home broadband by the phone itself, never goes near your cellular data.

Look at your bill, the mobile provider counts the data used per 24hrs and adds it onto that section of your bill.

Data used while roaming can take a couple of days or more to appear on your mobile providers systems, but does show up on your bill eventually.

Why do you ask, @Kingfisher1?

[Kingfisher1]

Hi pgn

Thanks for that. 

I'm asking as phone provider is stating I use on average 16GB of mobile data per month - the majority of time I'm using either home or work WiFi (as network coverage is near to non existent in both my home and work areas). 

[madasaf1sh · Accepted solution]

@Kingfisher1 

Mobile Data is only logged when your device and sim card request mobile network access to provide service, what is probably happening is the phone is losing WiFi connection and is requesting mobile data connectivity even if it is only for a minute or so...

Have a look in your phone settings to turn this functionality off or turn off mobile data whilst at home..

[pgn]

Your phone tracks data used, down to app if needed, so you can cross check - and set limits:

Things like WiFi Assist, if your home WiFi has any black spots, will put data out to your cellular network at those times, if the Assist feature is enabled. Check your phone's data charts for WiFi and for Mobile (and Roaming if applicable) and then adjust apps or disable WiFi Assist completely @Kingfisher1.