The average wireline broadband subscriber used 271 gigabytes a month of data in the second quarter, up around 25% year over year, according to a new OpenVault report.
The Hoboken, New Jersey-based company, which creates software tools and analysis for broadband suppliers, ties a close correlation for the rapid increase to, of course, cord cutting.
In a model included in the study in which “thousands” of cord cutters were studied, OpenVault shows data usage rapidly spiking to 487GB in average homes after linear pay TV services were ditched.
Related: Nearly 16% of Broadband ‘Power Users’ Have Connection Speeds of 75 Mbps or Less
Among internet-only households, average bandwidth consumption in the second quarter was 390.42 GB, while bundled subscribers consumed, on average, 210.89 GB of data, a difference of 85%.
OpenVault said average usage is most intense among customers that don’t have usage-based caps. These customers used an average of 282.5 gigs vs. just 262.9 GB for capped users.
Yes indeed, OpenVault is an advocate for caps.
“While usage-based billing often is considered as a revenue enhancing tool, the reality is that it spurs subscribers to find harmony between their broadband speeds and their usage patterns,” said Josh Barstow, executive VP of corporate strategy and business development for OpenVault. “As more and more subscribers exhibit cord-cutting behavior, visibility into usage behavior and sound usage-based billing plans will help operators to manage increasingly busy networks and ensure subscriber satisfaction.”
