Postpaid Customers Who Are Getting Unlimited Data Increases To 53.4 Percent

According to the results of a recent survey conducted by Cowen and Company, the amount of postpaid mobile customers who have availed of an unlimited data plan has increased to 53.4 percent. This growth is truly remarkable considering that three years ago, this category of users was only at 22.7 percent. The latest percentage also represents a steady improvement over the 51.6 percent recorded in the previous quarter.

As pointed out by analysts at Cowen, the most number of users who have signed up for unlimited data plans did so with T-Mobile and Sprint, followed by industry leaders AT&T and Verizon Wireless. This is sort of expected -- despite the fact that T-Mobile and Sprint are the third and fourth biggest mobile operators in the United States next to Verizon and AT&T, they happen to have offered unlimited data the longest. And because they are basically trying to attract existing subscribers from the industry leaders, T-Mobile and Sprint tend to be more aggressive in promoting their unlimited data offerings.

In terms of LTE connection speeds, it appears that Verizon Wireless and AT&T have managed to halt their decline. Based on a report published by wireless network tracking firm OpenSignal, the networks of the two biggest mobile service providers in the country seem to be bouncing back, with the Big Red even displaying LTE speed improvements in the last few months.

According to OpenSignal’s numbers, Verizon Wireless and AT&T started seeing their LTE connection speeds slow down in the first half of 2017, right around the time they both began introducing their respective unlimited data offerings. But entering into the new year, the two carriers have since shown some signs of recovery.

Still, as noted by OpenSignal in its official blog, T-Mobile and Sprint continue to register increases in their LTE speeds. T-Mobile was almost 3 megabits per second (mbps) ahead of Verizon Wireless. Sprint, on the other hand, continues to gain on AT&T.

OpenSignal’s report also brings up the question of whether the top two mobile operators in America will ever be able to fully get back to their average LTE connection speeds just before they starting offering unlimited data plans. Verizon Wireless might have a better chance as compared to AT&T, based on OpenSignal’s most recent information. But the level of competition right now is as high as ever, not only in postpaid but also in prepaid, so nothing really is certain these days.