It has been observed that the data reduction among telecommunication subscribers has been attributed to both technical and non-technical factors. In this article, we will be looking at how to reduce your data consumption and the details you need to know.
From the recent report conducted by cable.co.uk, you will observe that Nigeria is the thirty-first (31st) among the list of countries with the cheapest data with an average price of $0.39 per 1 GB. With the above information at hand, there are still some differences within the country with 1 GB of data ranging from $0.13 to $1.64 which is on the high side.
Reports from the 2023 Digital Quality of Life Index show that Nigerians work thirty-five (35) hours, twenty-five (25) minutes a month to be able to have the money to have a fixed broadband Internet. It was also observed that the Romanians work eighteen (18) minutes a month to provide fixed broadband Internet.
Edoyemi Ogoh who is the director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity at the Nigeria Communications Commission (NUC) said that it is automatic updates of apps and automatic uploads of pictures and videos to the cloud of a smartphone that contributes significantly to data reduction.
The director went further to say that other technical factors increase data consumption which include an increase in internet speed due to migration to 4G. He stated that migration automatically plays videos in high-quality formats which in turn consumes more data than expected.
How To Reduce Your Data Consumptions
Experts in this field have recommended using a multi-faceted approach like adjusting video quality settings, identifying and managing data-hungry apps and manual control of automatic updates and uploads as an approach to reduce your data consumption.
Ruben Mouka a director of Public Affairs at Nigeria Communications Commission said that when you check your data usage, you will find out that 1GB is still what it used to be before. He said the only difference is that you may be running much faster on your dtat because of an improvement in network quality or you may have been using a lot of apps downloading or uploading without your knowledge.
He said, “You may be making voice and video calls on WhatsApp or downloading huge videos on your phone from multiple groups, etc. That is the difference,”.
According to a report from the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), it says that Nigeria holds the 11th position globally in terms of internet penetration. The growth in internet usage in Nigeria has been attributed to several factors like the expanding digital economy, the increased availability of affordable internet access devices and enhanced network infrastructure. How to reduce your data consumption has been listed below:
Enable Data-Saver Mode
If you are thinking of how to reduce your data consumption, enabling your data-saver mode is a way out. Users have been advised by a software developer Ifeanyi Ojukwu to enable their data-saver mode and leverage data-saving browsers and apps to curtail data consumption.
He went further to say that the use of data compression apps such as Opera Max or Chrome Data Saver reduces data usage, emphasising the importance of setting data limits through phone settings and receiving warnings when approaching those limits.
He went further to say that another tip to reduce your data consumption was to disable automatic app updates on your device. He said that some apps are known for consuming excessive data in the background so a regular check of data usage statistics on your device to identify the apps that are consuming the most data is important.
You can use Google Maps, go to offline maps and download maps that can be used for navigation. After that, you can now use them with only your GPS turned on and your mobile data.
Digital Literacy
Chukwuka Madumerea cybersecurity analyst at SAP has advised users to explore those cost-effective data plans. He emphasised the role of digital literacy in empowering subscribers to make informed decisions about their data usage. He further advised that people should utilise offline modes and downloading features in apps to store content for later use.
He stated that one of the benefits of using the downloading approach for music, video and content over Wi-Fi is that users can enjoy their favourite media without relying on mobile data each time. This strategy will help you to reduce your data consumption and usage potentially thereby reducing your monthly expenses on data.
Turn Off Non- Essential Apps
Akajiaku Ufoma a student says one of the approaches to reduce your data consumption is to turn off cellular data for non-essential apps. He said that when he gets to school, he will switch on the WiFi.
He went further to say that another approach to reduce your data consumption is to subscribe to midnight plans and get at least 500MB with just N50 if you are on MTN Pulse. He said he does this every day and you can also do it to get as far as 2GB and has been doing it for years. It should be noted that it is not only MTN that offers this service, other network providers like Glo and Airtel do so as well.
Stakeholders in the telecom sector have always maintained that the NCC’s role in maintaining and regulating telecom was very important for maintaining a fair and competitive market, promoting the development of telecommunications services in Nigeria and safeguarding consumers’ interests.
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Battery Save Mode
One of the ways to reduce your data consumption is to put your device in battery save mode. This tip helps to reduce your data consumption. With this tip, you can use less than 3DB of cellular data a month, even when you listen to more than 100 hours of video and audio a month on your mobile device.
Users have been advised to put their phones in ” battery save mode” always if possible to stop background data loading. Also, the user recommended going to the settings of your app to disable notifications for apps like Discord, Facebook, Instagram Slack etc because the apps mentioned above tend to use a significant amount of dtat in the background.