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Iphone cellular data usage vs Fido data uasage

sadat78
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Hi,

 

I recently activated a new sim in an Iphone with a 300 MB data plan. My Iphone started to track the cellular data usage (setting -> cellular data usage) from time i instered the new sim. After couple of weeks i called Fido to check my data uasage (my online fido account was not able to show the data useage) and they checked and said I have already used over 330MB. So I checked the phone's cellular usage and it said 312MB. So there is a discrepensy there...

 

Either Apple is making a mistake adding up the cellular data usage or Fido is showing more than actual usage!!

 

Please clarify this issue.

 

Please note: Iphone started tracking mobile data usage as soon as the sim was inserted.

7 REPLIES 7

ZhenLiang
I'm a participant level 1
I'm a participant level 1

exact same thing happened to me. Last time I checked online about my data usage and it showed I have 71 mb left. .  . So I reset my data tracking on iphone to 0.by the way, I'm on wifi for the most part and the time I checked the website and reset my data was late in the afternoon and I 've been on wifi since the 8 am.

now couple days passed, I checked my usage again, on my phone, it says I have used 30.4mb since last recent, but on fido website, it shows I now only have 31 mb left which means I used 40mb during the period.

the discrepency betweeen 30 and 40 over couple days is too significant!

hiroden
I'm a participant level 1
I'm a participant level 1

There is a topic on this issue but I never had an issue with the data counter till recently.

 

I alwasy reset my iPhone data counter on the 1st day of the billing cycle and the difference between the iphone and fido data counter was usually less than 50mb. However, since July, the gap got bigger. Today, after 15 days into the cycle, the Fido data counter is 150mb more than the iPhone's (2.95GB vs 2.8GB). The last cycle there was ~300mb gap.

 

I understand the gap is due to the lost data... however, it seems it is getting excessive? 300mb of data is a not a small amount for mobile data (2~3 days of my usage).

Hi @hiroden,

 

Welcome to the Community Smiley

 

I moved your post to this already existing thread treating the same topic, you should be able to find the answer here. 



Cawtau
Senior MVP Senior MVP
Senior MVP

Hello Sadat78,

 

  Welcome to the community!

 

  It is important to note that there is often a slight difference between the phone's stated usage and the mobile providers' actual usage. It is due to the difference in how the usage is calculated. Mobile devices calculate usage by what data is received. On the other hand, mobile providers calculate data by what is sent from their networks. The two might not necessarily be the same. Some apps/functions do not provide feedback to the network with regards to whether they actually received data. For example, streaming video or music receives a constant stream of data with little or no feedback. If the device briefly loses connection (ie in elevator, going through tunnel, etc), some of the data sent from the network might not get received by the device and the data can be lost.

 

  There have been rather heated discussions as to how unfair it is to have to pay for lost data. However, the data was sent via the networks. Similarly, if you have a leaky toilet, you are still responsible for the cost of water provided even though you didn't use the water. Many people have suggested that mobile providers change the way they calculate data to what is actually received by customers' devices. However, that is not a feasible solution.

 

Hope this helps Smiley

 

Cheers

 


sadat78
I'm a participant level 2
I'm a participant level 2

Hi @Cawtau

 

Thanks for the explanation. My only question is, shouldn't fido be reponsible for the network they are providing? I mean if they send some data through "their" netwrok and for some reason my phone was not able to receive it, should that be counted as charged data or an issue with my phone?

 

I just want to see how much difference it is between cellular data usage and fido data used. I will post the difference once I get the bill. I turned off the cellular data after I saw 312 MB used and fido said i used around 330 MB (i had a 300 mb limit).

 

Once again, thanks for your explanation. Smiley  


@sadat78 wrote:

Hi @Cawtau

 

Thanks for the explanation. My only question is, shouldn't fido be reponsible for the network they are providing? I mean if they send some data through "their" netwrok and for some reason my phone was not able to receive it, should that be counted as charged data or an issue with my phone?

... 

Hello again,

 

  I apologise for the tardy reply...

 

  Mobile providers are responsible for the network they provide. However, the nature of mobile phones is that they are dependent on cellular signals reaching the phones. That is, what happens between the cellular towers and phones is often outside of mobile providers' control. Many factors can affect those signals from reaching the phones-- including proximity to cellular towers and interference caused by obstructions between the cellular and the device (see here). That is why no mobile provider will be able guarantee their service.  

 

  Additionally, there may not be any issue with either the network or your phone. For example, if you are streaming music or video and enter an elevator or lower level parking garage (ie no signal), some of the data would have already been sent from the networks when you lose signal but your phone cannot receive them. Mobile providers can't be expected to know when you're about to enter an area with no signal. Your phone requested the data, and the networks sent the data; your phone's working properly, but is unable to receive said data because of your surrounding circumstances.

 

Hope this helps Smiley

 

Cheers


KAPABLE-K
MVP MVP
MVP

Hello @sadat78,

 

Welcome to the community!

 

I understand you are using your iPhone to track your data usage while doing that to stay on top of your data usage is a good thing its not always 100% accurate in terms of how and what is tracked by the service provider. 

 

Your phone states you used 312mb and Fido is saying 330mb the gap is not that huge.