Wifi Boom is Only Quite Recent

I found these figured eye opening, to understand how wifi use has evolved. Imagine 10 years from now..

This is from the university I attended.. I graduated in 2006, probably the Peak then was just a few hundred connections a day if even, Wifi wasn't free, and hardly anyone I knew used it.. Phones were not very "smart" yet at the time.

https://www.ryerson.ca/ccs/services/connections/on-campus/wireless/wireless_expansion_renewal/

Increasing Demand for Wireless
The following table shows the year-by-year increase in the peak number of wireless devices simultaneously connected to Ryerson’s wireless network.

Peak of wireless devices simultaneously connected

Year             Peak Daily Wifi Connections                    
2008 - 2009 2,500
2009 - 2010 4,500
2010 - 2011      6,000
2011 - 2012 7,000
2012 - 2013 9,200
2013 - 2014 9,636
2014 - 2015 15,000
2015 - 2016 25,947
2016 - 2017 32,500


Total number of access points

Time Total Access Points
End of February 2012 1115
End of Summer 2013 1493
End of Fall 2013 1603
End of April 2014 1619
End of Summer 2014 1757
End of 2014 1770
End of October 2015 2103
End of February 2016 2133
End of August 2016 2269
End of December 2016 3046
End of July 2017 3090
End of September 2017 3197
End of March 2018 3222
End of June 2018   3473
End of Summer 2018 (Projected) 3500

A lot of those will be from cell phones.

On Android there is a feature called "data saver" that will prevent most apps from connecting in the background and limit the data usage of the remainder.

By turning off the "Mobile Data" feature on my android phone, it puts the Acousticom meter down to a low level.  Same as with putting it in Airplane Mode.

I just remembered that the data saver option reduces cellular/GSM data usage, not WiFi usage. So my post was off-topic
 

WiFried wrote

By turning off the "Mobile Data" feature on my android phone, it puts the Acousticom meter down to a low level.  Same as with putting it in Airplane Mode.

Yes, that's even better. The data saver is useful if you have semi-cooperative roommates/family/etc. because it will reduce GSM data usage a lot without limiting what they can do on their phone. The biggest difference they'll notice is that their battery lasts longer. It also improves their privacy by limiting apps' ability to call home.