Fair Share
Efficient use of mobile networks in Latin America
Between 2016 and 2023, mobile network traffic in the region increased fourteenfold. Looking ahead, total traffic will continue to grow year after year, with annual growth rates expected to increase as well. This rise will be driven primarily by intensive video consumption, as well as new formats like augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
The growth in traffic will put pressure on network capacity, a public and limited resource that is currently used intensively by a small group of companies at no cost.
By not facing pricing signals for using networks, major traffic generators have no incentive to use them efficiently. Unsolicited traffic (such as auto-play videos and ads) or traffic that is not optimized (such as videos in resolutions higher than what devices support) is monetized by companies but negatively impacts user experience, the environment, and network capacity.
The fair share proposal advocates establishing a mechanism where major traffic generators contribute to the financing and maintenance of mobile networks to incentivize more efficient use of this vital resource for the digital future.
Large traffic generators and network usage: myths and realities
Mobile network usage in Latin America. Current data traffc and forecasts
