DNA’s customers are still Europe's most avid mobile data users, says report – the average price of a gigabyte among the cheapest in Europe

DNA customers used the world’s second largest amount of data per subscription in the first half of 2022 – on average 43.6 gigabytes per month, compared with 40.6 gigabytes in the whole year 2021. Same time, DNA customers were the most active mobile data users in Europe. Globally, a Kuwaiti operator Zain beat DNA.

TOP 5 list, whole world, gigabytes per subscription:

1. Zain, Kuwait, 53.4*
2. DNA, Finland, 43.6
3. Zain, Saudi Arabia, 37.0*
4. Elisa, Finland, 36.0
5. 3, Austria, 35.1

*Only the entire amount of 2021 is reported.

Tefficient reports that all top operators offer unlimited data plans and that they’re offering 5G services widely. DNA launched its 5G already in 2019. The growth rate of mobile data usage has been staggering, as the amount of data per subscription has almost doubled in just three years – in the first half of 2019, only 23.5 gigabytes of mobile data were used per subscription.

By the end of the first half of 2022, DNA's 5G network already reached approximately 70% of Finns based on their place of residence, which means more than 3.8 million people in 163 municipalities.

“In 5G subscriptions for phones, the amount of data transferred is tens of percent higher than in 4G subscriptions, and in fixed wireless subscriptions the difference is up to hundreds of percent. Our customers have also noticed that it is possible to connect the entire home to the internet over a stable mobile network. We believe that data usage growth will continue strong as 5G spreads even further,” says Jarkko Laari, VP, Radio Networks at DNA.

5G improves the energy efficiency of the mobile network

Tefficient's report also shows that DNA's customers enjoy very affordable gigabytes by the standards of the whole world. Of the Nordic operators, DNA's customers pay the least on average for each gigabyte they use – the second lowest in the whole of Europe. However, the growing data volumes put the operators in a tight spot in front of the climate goals and the ongoing Europe-wide energy crisis. How to respond to the growing need for data and at the same time keep energy consumption under control?

5G technology plays an increasingly significant role in reducing the energy consumption per gigabyte of the mobile network. Even in the short term, the expansion of the 5G network reduces the pressure to increase the capacity of the 4G network, which helps to save energy and reduce emissions, as more data can be transmitted in the 5G network with the same amount of energy compared to the 4G network. In the long term, an increasingly large part of mobile data will be transferred in the 5G network. Jarkko Laari, DNA’s VP, Radio Networks, says that the data volume in DNA's network continues to grow strongly, and at the same time the average data speed improves thanks to the 5G network. On the other hand, the mobile network's energy consumption has only increased nominally. Consequently, the energy consumption per gigabyte has clearly decreased.

"It is important for us to respond to people's growing need for data, but at the same time keep energy consumption to a minimum. With 5G technology, the energy efficiency of the mobile network will improve significantly. In addition, the deployment of the 5G network makes it possible to abandon 3G technology after 2023 and reinvest resources in more efficient technologies", says Laari.

**Source: Tefficient report, Tefficient Industry Analysis #2 2022. DNA sponsored the report. Tefficient is an independent, international analytical, benchmarking and consultancy company in the telecommunications sector, with reports available for download at: https://tefficient.com/mobile-data-operators-1h-2022/

Further information for the media:

Jarkko Laari, VP, Radio Networks, DNA Plc, tel. +358 (0)44 044 4949, jarkko.laari@dna.fi

DNA Corporate Communications, tel. +358 (0)44 044 8000, communications@dna.fi

More information about DNA's 5G network: www.dna.fi/5G