Comparing and contrasting smartphone and non-smartphone usage

Abstract

This paper presents a large-scale network wide analysis of both user behaviour and network dynamics in a live nationwide 2G/3G network. The employed data set tracks over one million subscribers across upwards of ten thousand base stations covering the entirety of the Republic of Ireland. The data set was captured in 2011 and includes a large group of bill-pay and pre-pay smartphone subscribers. The proliferation of smartphones has been a major and recent change to networks worldwide. In light of the recent changes in network access technologies much of the earlier work in this field is now out of date. This paper compares and contrasts the traffic usage of smartphone subscribers and nonsmartphone subscribers. A key aim of this work is to quantify and qualify the change brought about by smartphones. Unlike previous studies, we look to the future by treating all traffic including voice calls and SMS as an equivalent data service, as will be the case in 4G. This paper also explores the temporal and spatial properties of both bill-pay and pre-pay smartphone usage and concludes by summarising our key findings & their implications.