The growth of superfast 4G networks has led to a major increase in demand for mobile video streaming, according to a new report.
New data from Citrix found that smartphone users on 4G networks are 1.5 times more likely to stream video on their devices than their 3G counterparts.
4G users will also watch for a longer period of time than those on 3G, with 76% of Netflix viewers watching for more than five minutes when viewing over 4G, compared to only 65% that do so when watching over a slower 3G network.
According to the report, video accounts for around 42% of data traffic on any given mobile network – far outranking social media (10%), adult content (9%) and shopping (1%).
Citrix’s study also found the number of mobile video ads being delivered to online users had grown 20% since the beginning of the year as brands increasingly use the medium to target new customers.
Last year, Citrix found that one video ad was served for every 20 banner ads served over mobile. This year, the ratio has increased to one video ad for every 16 banner ads served.
"Providing network operators with insight into the types and volumes of content mobile subscribers are consuming helps them to identify trends in subscriber behaviour and to adjust their networks accordingly," said Mark Davis, senior director of product marketing at Citrix, which published the data in its latest Mobile Analytics Report.
"The mobile data experience continues to be a key contributor to subscriber satisfaction or lack thereof. Knowledge about how the network is being used combined with the tools to enhance the mobile data experience are fundamental to establishing a differentiated data service."
