New Year's Eve 2023: Data volume breaks records - mobile communications is booming!

New Year's Eve 2023: Data volume breaks records - mobile communications is booming!

On New Year's Eve 2023, German mobile networks set a new data usage record. An unprecedented volume was transferred across all providers, exceeding even the wildest predictions. Loud PZ News Vodafone alone used an incredible 4.5 million gigabytes between 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. on New Year's Day, which corresponds to an increase of 50% compared to the previous year. With this amount of data, you could stream almost 200 years of series and films in HD on Netflix.

Deutsche Telekom recorded 3.9 million gigabytes during the same period, representing growth of 35%. O2 Telefónica also registered an increase and reached 5.7 million gigabytes, an increase of 3.6% compared to the previous year. These developments are partly due to the switch of many 1&1 customers to the Vodafone network, which has increasingly been taking place since 2025. The general trend shows that the data volume in Germany has been rising continuously for years, apart from a small decline during the Corona pandemic Klamm.de also highlighted.

Increasing use of data services

The reasons for this boom are obvious: more people are using video calls, sharing high-resolution selfies or accessing AI services. Streaming video over mobile networks has increased dramatically in recent years, helped by technical improvements such as fewer dead spots and wider 5G coverage. In this context, Marcel de Groot, CEO of Vodafone, recalls the continuous expansion of the 5G infrastructure, including in rural areas.

To celebrate the New Year, a high number of telephone calls were registered at both Vodafone and O2 Telefónica. Vodafone recorded 7.5 million calls in the first hour after midnight, an increase of 40%. O2 also reported over seven million calls. Interestingly, the average conversation duration was 78 seconds, which shows that many are looking for personal contact, even though the use of classic telephone calls has been declining overall for years, as many people increasingly communicate via chats or data services Federal Network Agency states in its annual report.

Long-term trends and investments

As the Federal Network Agency explains in its current annual report, telecommunications providers invested a total of 13.2 billion euros in expanding the network in 2023, especially fiber optic and 5G technologies. The number of fiber-connected households rose to 17.9 million, an impressive 37% increase over 2022. However, the report also shows a 20% decline in call volume over fixed lines, while volume over mobile networks fell slightly by just under 4%.

Although general usage remains robust, the trend is steadily moving towards messenger and video conferencing services, which in turn explains the increase in data volumes in the mobile sector. In the context of these developments, the joy about the technical advances and increasing user-friendliness is clearly noticeable. The providers definitely have a good hand in meeting the needs of their customers in the future.