Measuring Mobile Internet Communication End User Cost and System Latency as Data Limitations

Abstract

This paper examines the use of automated measurement as a tool to support the development on mobile internet communication. The focus is on analysis on end user inputs; data connection cost, time spent on moving data, and end user effort in the use of mobile internet communication service. The paper compares results of two case studies in UK and in Finland to the 2010 created 50 €s roaming limit for Telecommunications in EU, and supports the year 2011 Proposal for the Digital Agenda of EU by analyzing the data cost per megabyte in actual use. The results in UK show that mobile service users were concerned about the cost of mobile service usage. This seems to limit the actual data amounts moved. Pilot user in Finland in 2010 exceeded 12 times the data limit valid in UK a year earlier. The results suggest that mobile system latency is a continuous development initiative; in the second pilot in Finland, end user could move 40 mega bytes in 20 minutes with a fixed price of 9.8 € a month; 25 cents per megabyte, if no additional data was moved. By understanding the end user limitations linked to actual use cases, the potential value or end user may become more transparent.