This summer, Lithuanians used the most mobile data in Poland, Germany, and Italy. Latvia, France, Spain, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Estonia also made it into the top ten most popular destinations.
“Although we are talking about a digital footprint, data usage statistics quite accurately reflect Lithuanians’ travel habits. We see that our customers continue to mostly choose well-known European destinations, but the most important trend is that they use the internet more freely while traveling. Browsing, maps, social networks, and video calls have already become an integral part of the trip,” says Jorūnė Lasavičiūtė, Head of Mobile Pricing at Telia.
According to the operator’s data, the most mobile data in July was used in Poland – more than 174 thousand GB, or 43% more than in the same period last year. Germany took second place, where data usage grew by 32% and reached 159 thousand GB. Italy ranked third, where Lithuanians used more than 105 thousand GB of data, almost twice as much as a year ago.
Southern Europe and the Baltic countries are gaining momentum
This year, Southern European destinations stood out particularly. Mobile internet usage in Spain grew by 57%, and in Greece by 60%. Meanwhile, among the Baltic countries, the most significant jump was recorded in Estonia, where Lithuanians used 77% more data than last year.
“These numbers show that Lithuanians miss the warmth and actively choose Southern European resorts. At the same time, we see growing regional tourism – more and more people choose neighboring Baltic countries for short trips or weekend getaways. Whether traveling to the Mediterranean Sea or to Tallinn, internet usage habits are practically the same,” notes J. Lasavičiūtė.
According to the expert, when traveling in the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area countries, people think less and less about saving data. As a result, overall mobile data usage in the most popular destinations is growing much faster than the scale of the trips themselves.
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“A few years ago, travelers abroad more often looked for Wi-Fi networks, but today they use the internet just as they do in Lithuania. Growing data flows show that mobile communication has become one of the most important attributes of modern travel,” says Telia’s Head of Mobile Pricing.
How to prepare for a trip outside the EU?
With the growing geography of Lithuanian travel, the expert reminds to check before departure whether mobile internet will work in non-EU countries. This can be done in just a few minutes in the phone settings.
“If you plan a trip outside the EU, we recommend making sure before departure that data roaming is enabled on your phone. To do this, find the mobile data or mobile network options in the phone settings and activate the ‘Data Roaming’ function. This will help you avoid unpleasant surprises when arriving abroad,” advises J. Lasavičiūtė.
According to the expert, internet performance and speed depend not only on the operator’s network but also on the device used. It is important that the phone supports 4G and VoLTE technologies and that its software is updated to the latest version. If you encounter connection or internet performance issues during the trip, it is worth checking the phone’s network settings, ensuring data roaming is enabled, and if necessary, updating an older SIM card.
When traveling in the EU and European Economic Area countries, Moldova, and Ukraine, calling, sending messages, and browsing are possible under the same conditions as in Lithuania. Meanwhile, when traveling to other countries, it is worth checking roaming tariffs in advance.
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