How much is 6GB of data?
As far as monthly data allowances go, 6GB is an above average amount of data. Ofcom’s 2021 report found that the average mobile user opted for 4.5GB of data per month, an increase from the last two years. A 6GB data plan offers this and more, but may still be perceived as a small allowance compared to larger bundles like 20GB, 30GB, 50GB, and 100GB.
If you consider yourself to be an average or below average data user, 6GB could be the right amount for you. Check out some of our comparison tables below to see how long 6GB can last.
How long does 6GB of data last?
When not connected to Wi-Fi, each activity on your phone uses up different amounts of mobile data. The table below shows how much each activity consumes over an hour.
Some activities may only use a certain amount of MBs per hour, while others will consume more and exceed 1GB. Remember, roughly 1000MB = 1GB.
|
Activity |
Data consumption |
|
Browsing the internet |
|
|
Listening to music |
Spotify 10.8MB per hour (24kbps) 43.2MB per hour (96kbps) 72MB per hour (160kbps) 144MB per hour (320kbps) |
|
Watching Netflix |
1GB per hour (standard definition) 3GB per hour (HD) |
|
Watching YouTube videos |
1.56GB per hour (1080p) 2.7GB per hour (4K) |
|
Browsing social media |
90MB per hour (scrolling) 156MB per hour (interacting) |
|
Using Skype / FaceTime |
Skype
FaceTime |
As you can see, certain activities aren’t very data demanding at all. For instance, browsing the internet takes up just a fraction of a GB over an hour. Of course, this depends on the sort of content you’re looking at, or the quality of the music you’re streaming.
On the other hand, streaming videos is very data intensive. This is because video files are very large (in comparison to say, a web page), and when you’re trying to access them over data, there’s lots to download.
YouTube and Netflix use up different amounts of data depending on their quality. You can control how much data videos use by playing them in a lower definition, rather than the highest quality. What you’re watching may be less sharp, but you’ll be able to watch content for longer.
How many hours will 6GB of data last for?
6GB can last for a fair amount of time if you’re an average mobile data user. Check out our table below to see how long these activities last with 6GB per month.
|
Activity |
Time duration with 6GB* |
|
Browsing the internet |
100 hours |
|
Listening to music |
Spotify 555 hours (24kbps) 138 hours (96kbps) 83 hours (160kbps) 41 hours (320kbps) |
|
Watching Netflix |
6 hours (standard definition) 2 hours (HD) / 39 minutes (HD) |
|
Watching YouTube videos |
3.8 hours (1080p) 2 hours (4K) |
|
Browsing social media |
66 hours (scrolling) 38 hours (interacting) |
|
Using Skype / FaceTime |
Skype 22 hours
FaceTime 33 hours |
*Calculated based on data consumption values in previous table - 6000MB or 6GB / XXMB or XXGB
6GB of data allows you to browse the internet for almost a whole week non-stop! Alternatively, you could FaceTime a friend or loved one for an hour every day.
You could also watch some video content, as long as it’s only occasionally. If you like to watch a lot of videos whilst on mobile data, you’d be better off with a bigger plan.
As for audio content (like playing music or listening to a podcast), you can do this for almost the whole month non-stop on Spotify’s lowest audio quality. But you probably won’t do that, so instead, you can enjoy streaming music in normal to high quality for several days.
Remember, once your data is gone, it’s gone for the month. You usually don’t get a refresh until the following month. So even though you could FaceTime for an hour each day on mobile data, you wouldn’t be able to do anything else with your allowance.
Is 6GB of data enough for me?
6GB could be the right data plan for you if:
- You don’t rely on mobile data all the time you’re not connected to Wi-Fi
- You only use mobile data sparingly each month
- You don’t tend to use mobile data to watch video content
- You mainly use mobile data for web searches, general browsing, and streaming audio
This bundle is most suitable for users who don’t require their mobile data to be on all the time, but would like the reassurance that they could use it without problems, as and when they need it.
SIM plans to suit youIf you're looking for a great value SIM plan with no contract, look no further than Asda mobile! For just £7 a month you could get 5GB of data, as well as unlimited minutes and texts. You can also take advantage of 4G, Wi-Fi Calling, roam like you're home, and much more!
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Discover more
If 6GB isn’t right for you, we have a range of other data guides available for you to look at:
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