The time spent on WiFi networks has dropped as users increasingly move to unlimited cellular data plans, according to data from Open Signal. According to a company blog post, smartphone users now spend roughly half of their time connected to Wifi versus cellular networks. Wi-Fi vs UNlimited

AT&T and Verizon spent years trying to shovel users toward more expensive metered plans (sometimes trampling net neutrality in the process), efforts they were forced to back off once T-Mobile’s own unlimited data offerings began to quickly erode their subscriber totals.

The post points out that the amount of time spent on WiFi versus cellular varies notably among each of the four major wireless carriers:

Verizon subscribers spent the highest percentage of time connected to Wifi at 54%, followed by AT&T (52%) and Sprint (51%), but the big standout in our data was T-Mobile. Our users were only connected to Wifi 43% of the time, indicating that the typical T-Mobile subscriber was spending far more time connected to his or her operator’s cellular networks than a typical subscriber on the other three operators.

The firm notes there are numerous reasons for these differences, including the fact that T-Mobile and Sprint have been offering and marketing unlimited data plans longer.

The report also notes that carriers like AT&T have increasingly moved toward automated WiFi offloading, automatically connecting customers to AT&T’s own hotspots whenever a customer is in range. Wi-Fi vs UNlimited

Wi-Fi and Unlimited refer to two different types of internet connectivity plans

Wi-Fi refers to a wireless network that allows devices to connect to the internet without the need for cables or wires. Wi-Fi networks are typically set up in homes, businesses, and public places such as coffee shops and airports. Wi-Fi networks can have different levels of speed and bandwidth, depending on the equipment and the internet connection they are connected to.

On the other hand, unlimited internet plans refer to an internet connectivity plan that does not have any limits on data usage. This means that customers can use as much data as they want without incurring additional charges or having their internet speed slowed down after reaching a certain amount of data usage. Unlimited plans are typically offered by mobile carriers for smartphones and other mobile devices.

It’s important to note that Wi-Fi and unlimited plans are not mutually exclusive. Many people use Wi-Fi networks to connect their devices to the internet and also have unlimited mobile data plans for when they are on the go. The choice between Wi-Fi and unlimited plans depends on the user’s needs, preferences, and budget. If a user spends most of their time at home or in places with Wi-Fi access, they may not need an unlimited data plan. However, if a user frequently uses their mobile device for streaming video, downloading large files, or other data-intensive activities, an unlimited plan may be more appropriate.