3GB of data: How much is it and how long does it last?

How much is 3GB of data?

According to Ofcom’s 2021 report, most users choose to have (approximately) 4.5GB of mobile data each month. A 3GB bundle isn’t that far off the average, but would still be considered small by today’s standards. After all, you can easily find SIM plans that offer 10GB, 20GB, 50GB, or even unlimited!

But that doesn’t mean you should discount it. It could be the  most affordable and most ideal plan for you, depending on your usage.

How long does 3GB of data last?

Before we can work out how long 3GB of data would last, we need to know how many MBs (megabytes) or GBs (gigabytes) common tasks would consume per hour. 

Note: Approximately 1,000MBs make up 1GB.

As you can see, streaming video content typically uses up the most data. Audio content, on the other hand, isn’t as data intensive (as long as you stream at a lower quality).

Scrolling the internet or other web-based applications like social media doesn’t consume much data, so you can usually do these activities for quite a while. Video chatting also uses up less than you might think per hour, but this will eventually add up - and, remember, once your data is gone, it’s gone until the next month!

How many hours will 3GB of data last for?

Now we know how much data each activity uses, let’s see how long they’d last on a 3GB plan: 

*Calculated based on data consumption values in previous table - 3000MB or 3GB / XXMB or XXGB

As shown, you could only watch Netflix or YouTube for around one to two hours before running out of data for the month. Considering there’s around 720 hours to fill in a month, this wouldn’t be the best idea on a 3GB bundle. 

However, you could browse social media for more than a day non-stop, and browse the web for two constant days (though you probably shouldn’t do this!). With 3GB, you also have quite a lot of data for streaming audio content, particularly if you opt to play your music in a lower quality to preserve your data. 

If you use your data cautiously, you’d probably be able to make 3GB last for the month. But is it right for you?

Is 3GB of data enough for me?

It’s safe to say that 3GB is not suitable for people who stream video content or rely on their mobile data often while out and about.

This bundle size is best for those who:

• Like to sometimes stream audio content
• Mostly use their mobile data to search the internet
• FaceTime or Skype occasionally each month
• Scroll social media fairly regularly 
  
  

3GB with Asda mobile

At Asda mobile, we have a 3GB bundle with unlimited minutes and texts for just £5 per month! You can also grab DOUBLE DATA on all our standard recurring bundles until 19/02/2022, so our 3GB bundle gives you 6GB instead!

All of our bundles last for one calendar month without contracts, so you’re free to upgrade, change, or leave whenever you like. 

If you stay with us, you’ll benefit from 4G speeds, the ability to roam in 36 European countries, and 99% UK population coverage on our Vodafone network. 

You can also top-up your data using your account, adding extra data one month if you need it. 

And once you’ve decided on your perfect bundle, you can pair it with a phone from Asda mobile.

Discover more

If 3GB isn’t right for you, check out our other data guides here:

• 250MB
• 1GB
• 2GB
• 5GB
• 6GB
• 8GB
• 10GB
• 15GB
• 20GB
• 30GB
• 50GB
• 100GB

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