Broadband News

Dongle uptake surges by 500%, says Orange

Friday, 22 May 2009

By Seamour Rathore seamour@consumerchoices.co.uk

Brits are gorging on digital media and social networking sites, with the aid of mobile broadband dongles and internet on their phones.

Dongle data usage has increased by 4,125% in the 12 months to February, according to mobile broadband provider Orange's (www.Orange.co.uk) fifth Digital Media Index report.

Mobile broadband has helped people to capitalise on the convenience and flexibility of being able to connect wherever and whenever they want.

Orange’s report also found that mobile handset data usage increased by 108% in the last year.

Paul Jevons, director of products, portals and service for Orange, said: “An explosion in the number of mobile applications and new embedded laptops will boost mobile data demand even further in the coming months.”

The Orange Digital Media Index looks at usage patterns across the company’s services to show how consumer habits are changing.

Michael Phillips, BroadbandChoices.co.uk product director, said: “The Orange Index further underlines the fact that people are expanding the ways in which they access the internet. Mobile broadband take-up is exploding, but people are mainly using it when out and about for instant news and social networking.”

“They still want access to fixed-line broadband with its reliability and greater speeds and download limits, too. For many people, it will become normal to have a home broadband connection, access to mobile broadband on their laptop and an internet service on their mobile phone. But they’ll use each for quite different information and applications.”

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