Android Eating Bandwidth

A mobile ad network, Rhythm New Media, claims <http://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2010/08/16/16gigaom-android-users-are-the-new-mobile-data-hogs-34161.html?ref=technology> that Android devices, not iPhones, are responsible for more data usage on the nation's mobile networks. According to their data, 72% of video viewing on Android devices takes place over 3G mobile networks. Meanwhile only 56% of iPhone video viewing takes place on the 3G network; the balance takes place over Wi-Fi connection.

With mobile video viewing increasing rapidly, this likely means that carriers other than AT&T will introduce tiered data usage plans. Android devices, which are made by numerous manufacturers and are used on different mobile networks, now outsell iPhones and BlackBerrys. This rapid proliferation of Android devices means that the Android data usage puts extra pressure on all major carriers.