Smartphones weigh on mobile networks

A smartphone generates much less mobile data traffic than a laptop with a data card, but phones impose a load on the network which is much larger than anticipated, a study by technology firm Airvana shows. A boom in mobile data traffic -- boosted by laptops and smartphones -- is putting unprecedented stress on wireless networks around the world. Delivering the same amount of data, a smartphone typically generates eight times the network signalling load of a laptop with a data card.