Post published in Mobile Top Up
26 July 2022
What Uses Mobile Data on a Mobile Phone?
Many phone plans now come with an allocation of mobile data. In this blog post, we outline its primary uses and any potential pitfalls to look out for.
What Is Mobile Data?
In simple terms, ‘mobile data’ allows you to connect to the Internet using a mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet, without the need to access a localised Wi-Fi network.
Unlike a Wi-Fi signal broadcast from a wireless router and typically limited in range (e.g. limited to within a household or coffee shop), mobile data is handled by a mobile phone mast.
The service is available from mobile phone network providers and allows users to access a range of essential services and digital products. You can move around the country or abroad and access mobile data using roaming.
Depending on your data package, you may have data restrictions or an unlimited data supply. Unlimited data plans are usually more costly but worth the expense, particularly if you travel and need easy access to the Internet.
If you only require limited data, some smaller plans are more affordable and allow you to upgrade should you need a greater amount in future.
What Uses Mobile Data?
There are many uses for mobile data, the most popular are described below:
Browsing The Web
Arguably the most popular use for mobile data is to browse the web. You can read articles, access the news, and visit virtually any website you wish. As long as you are within range of a mobile phone mast, you should be able to access sites without issue. Accessing websites, especially those without video, will not take up large amounts of data. As a result, lower-end data plans are often enough for basic usage.
Messaging Services
Mobile data is also helpful for accessing messaging services like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. But this also extends to e-mail messages. Sending and receiving text-based messages will use small amounts of data, especially if the messages are short. Sending videos, voice notes, and high-quality photographs will take considerably more data.
Apps
Many thousands of apps are available to download if you own a smartphone or tablet device. These can all be accessed using mobile data. It is worth noting, however, that some apps run continually in the background, even when not in use. Examples include weather and social media apps. So always be aware of your data use and be prepared to upgrade to a larger plan, especially if you need overseas mobile data.
Streaming Services
Video and music streaming services are available on data plans and bundles but require a high data allowance. A large data plan is recommended if you need to access services like Netflix, YouTube, and Spotify. High-definition streaming takes up a large amount of data, so bear this when selecting a plan.
If you’d like to purchase more mobile data for friends and family overseas, please use Overseas Top Up.