Data downloads on mobile phones in Australia jumped 85 per cent to 71.6 pedabytes in Q2 from a year ago, while the average download per user rose 79 per cent to 3.4GB.

According to a new report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the total volume of downloads (mobile and fixed-line) in Q2 increased 41 per cent to 1.46 exabytes.

Smartphone adoption in the country expanded 11 per cent to 13.4 million in June from the previous year, lifting penetration to 74 per cent. The number of mobile connections increased 2.5 per cent to 31.77 million. The percentage of adults using mobile phones remained at 94 per cent for the past three years, the ACMA said. But mobile internet users edged up 2 per cent to 21 million.

The country’s three major mobile players expanded their 4G coverage, with Telstra reaching 94 per cent of the population, Optus covering almost 90 per cent and Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA) reaching 95 per cent of the metropolitan population.

Telsta’s 4G user base increased 48 per cent to 7.7 million over the past year to 30 June, while Optus’ surged 58 per cent to 3.8 million. ACMA didn’t release figures for VHA.

The competitive landscape remained fairly stable over the past year, with Telstra taking a 54 per cent share of mobile connections (up 1 point from the previous year), and Optus and VHA steady at 29.5 per cent and 16.5 per cent respectively.

The number of mobile phone users without a fixed-line telephone increased 9.5 per cent to 5.37 million year-on-year.

The number of complaints filed with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman during 2014-15 fell 10.4 per cent from 2013-14, with complaints about mobile services down 29 per cent from the previous year and less than half the level recorded in 2011–12.

Complaints about billing and payment issues fell 14 per cent, while those concerning customer service dropped 22 per cent.