Australians’ mobile usage skyrockets during lockdown
28 Sep 2021
Whether it’s the never ending at-home workouts, or the banana bread movement, the past 18 months have been a whirlwind, as we’ve had to adjust to spending more time in the great indoors.
At the core of this, our phones have become an essential lifeline to help us stay connected and entertained. I mean let’s face it, who hasn’t been guilty of indulging in a one-hour TikTok scroll since the pandemic started?
With much of the country spending a significant amount of time in lockdown over the past year, the question must be asked; how has the pandemic changed the mobile usage habits of Aussies across the country?
Beloved smartphones
We recently crunched the numbers to answer this question, with research revealing Australians’ usage on their smartphones has increased by a staggering 146% on average pre and post-pandemic life. A huge shoutout to our friends in Tasmania, who have seen their data usage increase by a whopping 213 % since the start of the pandemic last March.
Data usage breakdown by State
| State | Pre/Post | Data TB | % Increase |
| NT |
| 265.51 695.15 | 161.81% |
| TAS | Before COVID During COVID | 478.92 1501.32 | 213.48% |
| ACT | Before COVID During COVID | 942.91 2,355.32 | 149.53% |
| SA | Before COVID During COVID | 3,338.64 9,891.29 | 196.27% |
| WA | Before COVID During COVID | 3,744.87 10,256.05 | 173.87% |
| QLD | Before COVID During COVID | 10,826.16 27,217.86 | 151.41% |
| VIC | Before COVID During COVID | 14,870.11 34,080.85 | 129.19% |
| NSW | Before COVID During COVID | 18,703.96 44,697.42 | 138.97% |
Despite seeing increases across data usage, calls and texts, international calls have experienced a slight decrease of 23% across the board, likely due to the lack of international students and travelers visiting our shores.
The data also revealed that although NSW and VIC have experienced much longer lockdowns than the rest of the country, they recorded the lowest amounts of data usage increases of 138% and 129% respectively. Luckily, for Aussies who have exceeded, or in some cases doubled their data usage, amaysim customers can now experience unlimited data banking, helping to keep them connected when they need a little bit extra throughout the month – bring on the mindless TikTok scrolling.
Old fashioned chinwag
Although it feels as if Zoom has taken over how we talk to our colleagues and friends, the research found that Aussies still love a good phone call. In fact, it seems our Tasmanian friends have the gift of the gab with a 30% increase in phone calls made during the pandemic. Other chatty states include the ACT and Western Australia with a 17% increase, closely followed by Queensland (14%).
Who said texting is dead?
South Australians are the most likely to shoot you a text, with the highest percentage increase in SMS usage across the country at 25%. Right next door, Western Australians aren’t far behind having experienced a 24% increase, but don’t expect a text back from your mates in Victoria with a measly 1% increase in SMS usage.
A great-value mobile pairing
If you’re one of the millions of Aussies who has seen an increase in their mobile usage since the pandemic started, it might be time to consider switching to a mobile plan that better suits your needs.
For those new to amaysim, our mobile plans include generous data inclusions, no lock-in contracts, unlimited data banking and are powered by the Optus 4G Network – providing you with a ton of value, at price points that won’t break the bank.
Switching can be done all online and you can choose to bring your existing number across or select a new one during the signup process.
About the Research & Citations
The research was conducted using data from the amaysim customer base over the following periods:
- BEFORE COVID - Between Oct 2018 to Feb 2020 (16 months)
- AFTER COVID – Between Mar 2020 to Jul 2021 (16 months)
