We might joke about Terminator-esque scenarios in which the machines rise up against us, but according to new stats from CTIA, we are now outnumbered.
For the first time, the number of wireless subscriber connections has surpassed the U.S. population—327.6 million versus 315.5 million—meaning there are more smartphones, tablets, and other wireless gadgets than there are people in the United States.
From January to June 2011, meanwhile, CTIA (which represents the wireless industry) saw a 111 percent increase in wireless data traffic. The group used this data to reiterate its call for access to more spectrum.
According to a semi-annual survey, CTIA found that there are 327.6 million wireless subscriber connections, an increase of 9 percent from mid-year 2010, when that number was at 292.8 million.
Wireless network traffic has jumped from 161.5 billion megabytes last year to 341.2 billion MB this year.
The results "proves that Americans love wireless and continue to rely on the most cutting-edge and innovative devices and services in the world. Clearly, we're using wireless more every day, and the consensus of experts is that demand will continue to skyrocket by more than 50 times within the next five years. These are the reasons why our members need more spectrum," Steve Largent, president and CEO of CTIA, said in a statement.
The spectrum crunch, combined with the release of faster and more data-hungry devices, has prompted some carriers to pull back on unlimited data offerings. Sprint is the only major U.S. provider with a truly unlimited data offering at this point, a feature it championed recently when it finally got the iPhone.
The push to allocate more spectrum to wireless providers has been an ongoing battle for years. In June, the Senate Committee approved a public safety bill that would let broadcasters auction off unused spectrum to help fund an interoperable public safety network. Last year, the White House also unveiled a plan intended to free up 500 MHz of spectrum over the next 10 years.