Telstra doubles 4G customers as mobile users feel need for speed

THE number of people using Telstra's 4G network has nearly doubled in six months as data-hungry mobile users drive growth.

Telstra figures show data demand is driving 4G network growth.

AUSTRALIA'S obsession with high-speed mobile data continues with Telstra announcing its number of 4G customers has nearly doubled in the past six months.

Telstra released its full-year earnings today which show that it has 2.8 million customers on its 4G network, up from 1.5 million it announced in its half-yearly results.

Of those 2.8 million customers, 1.9 million are using their smartphones to connect to 4G and 200,000 are using their tablets.

Director of Consumer Mobility Scott McGibbony said the growth reflected the ongoing love affair Australians had for technology.

"Our 4G data traffic is growing by about 23 per cent per month," he said.

"This will be driven by more mobile products entering the market and a growing expectation of being connected no matter where you are," he said.

"For some years now, using data services for things such as watching videos, listening to music, sharing photos or accessing email, Facebook and Twitter has overtaken voice as the primary use of a smartphone."

Telstra launched its 4G network in September 2011 and says there is an increase in the number of people who regularly use more than one mobile device.

It predicts that about 90 per cent of Australians will have a smartphone by 2016.

Data from Telstra shows that 4G smartphone users spend an average of 7 hours a week accessing the web on their mobile device, compared to 6.2 hours for people who own a 3G mobile.

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