Summer data traffic increases fivefold in five years

The launch of 5G contributes to the accelerated annual growth of internet traffic

The Yettel network report on mobile usage patterns in Hungary compared traffic data from the summer months with those of the same period in previous years. The results show an accelerated growth in mobile internet demand, but also an increase in voice calls and SMS traffic compared to the summer of last year. In terms of data traffic, the Lake Balaton region and, despite the effects of the drought, the Lake Velencei area also increased above average.

Comparing the months of this summer with the same period last year, there has been a 32% increase in data traffic on Yettel’s network nationwide. Breaking down the national average of 32%, the area around Lake Balaton and Lake Velencei are the outliers where, despite the latter's reduced attractiveness for tourists due to the drop in water levels, the annual growth in mobile traffic was over 40% during the summer months. 

Accelerated growth
Interestingly, while the operator recorded a 16% increase in data traffic between the summers of 2020 and 2021, the growth rate doubled from 2021 to 2022, exceeding 32%. Over a five-year period (summer 2017 vs. summer 2022), the growth rate exceeds 500%.

The exponential growth might have been driven also by the fact that traditional mobile internet experience is being enhanced by the roll-out of 5G networks and the increasing penetration of 5G mobile phones, as well as the broad availability of tariffs with unlimited data plans. At the same time, mobile internet-based home internet services confined to a specific location (a home, a postcode) are also popular. Powered by a stable mobile network, these services can fully replace fixed-line internet and meet the home internet needs of an entire household. 

“We can never say that the mobile network serving our customers is ‘ready’. We see it rather as a living system: we keep developing it, monitoring it and fine-tuning it according to customer needs, if necessary. We are now witnessing the ramp-up of 5G, with hundreds of base stations nationwide now available. This has created an opportunity for the launch of high-bandwidth home internet services, which is where 5G creates real added value," said György Koller, Chief Technical Officer of Yettel Hungary.