4G Users Boost mCommerce Sales

Instore price comparisonMobile operator EE is reporting a significant increase in the number of its 4G customers planning to shop on smartphones or tablets this Christmas. The company’s second EE Mobile Living Index, published today, reveals that 39 per cent of 4GEE users plan to Christmas shop on a smartphone or tablet this year, up from 15 per cent last Christmas. Fashion, entertainment, electronics and books are the most popular purchases, with a third of mobile shoppers spending more than £100 a month on mobile. eBay and Amazon are most popular mobile shopping destinations. The morning and evening commutes are identified as the busiest times for mobile shopping.

The study, which combines statistics from EE’s 4G mobile network with a survey of 4GEE customers, also offers insights into how 4G customers are using their mobile devices. It reveals that 24 per cent of users are on social media at least 10 times per day, while 36 per cent are streaming more video than they did on 3G, with large peaks in traffic during key events such as on Halloween and live football matches. Network analysis reveals that 4GEE customers use 28 per cent more data on social media than 3G users, with Facebook, YouTube and Instagram using the most data over 4GEE.

Web browsing and email (40 per cent), video (22 per cent), social media (18 per cent) and music (8 per cent) are the top application types in terms of 4G traffic. The top five applications in terms of 4G data volumes are web browsers, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and video calls.