The monthly average data usage of fourth-generation Long Term Evolution surpassed 5 gigabytes for the first time last July, according to data by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning.

The overall data usage per person has rapidly grown due to the advancements of mobile technology and services such as live video-streaming and instant messaging.

Industry experts say the increase is attributable to a growing number of consumers subscribing to unlimited monthly data plans and watching videos on their mobile devices.

Also, more and more people opt to communicate via free mobile messengers rather than making phone calls.

By khnews@heraldcorp.com