As the number of devices people use increases, mobile connectivity has never been more important. Whether mobile professionals are trying to be productive by day or connect with family and friends by night, there is a tangible need to be always connected. And with the continued growth of cloud applications and Unified Communications (UC), high-quality, secure connectivity is no longer “nice to have,” it’s a “must have.”
The Mobile Connectivity Cost Index 2016 focuses on the mobile connectivity options available to professionals who work on the go, exploring which of these options is the most cost-effective and best optimized for secure mobile working. Using desk-based research methods, this report answers whether free Wi-Fi hotspots really are a cost-free connectivity option and whether changes to data pricing in 4G LTE bundles make cellular data roaming a viable option. These options have also been compared to the costs of using paid-for Wi-Fi in venues such as hotels, airports and on aircraft.
This paper’s findings are as clear as they are troubling. Free Wi-Fi does not provide the simplicity, convenience and security that today’s mobile professionals require. When considering the impact on worker productivity, the very notion of “free” quickly disappears.
This report highlights that a mobile professional uses around 760MB of data per day, predominately for business activity. All the cost comparisons have been based on this level of data usage. However, this figure doesn’t take into account how mobile professionals spend their free time. For example, within a busy travel schedule, down time is very important, and a mobile professional may want to stream a movie or TV show in their hotel room. This would result in a great deal more data being used. Just one hour of Netflix streaming can typically result in the use of between one and 3GB of extra data, which dramatically increases overall data cost.
What’s included in this report:
- Executive Summary
- The Connectivity Options
- Average Data Usage
- Mobile Professional Profiles
- The Cost of Connectivity
- The Best and Worst Case Cost Analysis for Different Types of Mobile Professionals
- Conclusion
- About iPass