X

Singaporeans can’t last a day without mobile data, survey says

The average Singaporean gets about half of the mobile data they say they need, according to a study done by one of the country's carriers.

Zoey Chong Reporter
Zoey is CNET's Asia News Reporter based in Singapore. She prefers variety to monotony and owns an Android mobile device, a Windows PC and Apple's MacBook Pro all at the same time. Outside of the office, she can be found binging on Korean variety shows, if not chilling out with a book at a café recommended by a friend.
Zoey Chong
2 min read
Internet Addiction

Singaporeans are frustrated with anything lesser than 6GB of mobile data, according to a new report.

Nick Lasure

Do you know how long you can go without mobile data, or how much you need every month?

In Singapore, half of 900 respondents in a survey said they can't last more than a day without mobile data, according a survey done by Circles.Life, the city-state's newest mobile operator. Respondents were between 16 to 54 years of age.

Two thirds of respondents said they need at least 6GB of data each month. That's more than the average data plan of around 3.5GB, making Singaporeans "data deprived," with 90 percent of respondents expressing frustration in wanting more data.

Singaporeans are not alone in this predicament. In the US, North Americans are forecasted to use an average of 6.9GB per month by end of this year -- that's a 50 percent growth from last June. As people try to fill their insatiable appetites for social networking, video and audio streaming services, the number is expected to keep growing and cross 26GB in five years.

Circles.Life also found Singaporeans to love social media as much as most people from other countries do, with Facebook , WhatsApp and YouTube emerging as the top three most frequently used apps in the country. While the US is using Facebook more and more, app analytics firm App Annie said in a report that the average South Korean using an Android phone spends almost 210 minutes on apps every day. In China, consumers are so addicted to life on social media that, despite knowing that extensive use could lead to harmful effects, they continue using them anyway.

Tech Enabled: CNET chronicles tech's role in providing new kinds of accessibility.

Batteries Not Included: The CNET team reminds us why tech is cool.