CTIA: U.S. wireless network traffic reaches 1.468 trillion MB in 2012

CTIA today released its semi-annual survey, showing that wireless network data traffic in the United States rose 69.3 percent in 2012 from 2011. The firm said the total amount of megabytes traveling over U.S. wireless networks in 2012 reached 1.468 trillion, up from 866.8 billion in 2011. However, that is a sharp drop from the 123 percent increase CTIA recorded from 2010 to 2011, suggesting that the rate of data traffic growth is slowing.

The trade group also said that U.S. wireless providers increased their annual network investments from $25.3 billion in 2011 to $30.1 billion in 2012 (up 19 percent).

"The U.S. wireless industry's record-setting level of network investment is clear proof of its continued commitment to providing Americans with superior 4G coverage. The wireless industry invested billions of dollars to improve their networks and their customers' coverage in 2012, fueling the 'virtuous cycle' of innovation," said Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA. "The numbers clearly prove our members are key drivers of the U.S. economy, which will be enhanced by making more spectrum available for commercial use."

CTIA also offered a number of notable stastics from its semi-annual survey:

  • Wireless subscriber connections grew to 326.4 million in 2012 from 315.9 million in 2011(3.3 percent increase).
  • The total number of prepaid / pay-as-you-go subscribers rose to 76.4 million in 2012 from 71.7 million in 2011.
  • Wireless-enabled tablets, laptops and modems reached 22.3 million in 2012, up slightly from 20.2 million in 2011.

And see below for additional slides from CTIA's report:

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