Why We Buy Rice by the Portion, but Mobile Data by the Sack

Why We Buy Rice by the Portion, but Mobile Data by the Sack

There’s a fascinating contrast in how people buy everyday products.

In many street markets around the world, rice is sold in small portions prepared for immediate use. A customer buys just enough for the next meal. The portion is priced affordably, and consumed the same day.

Next to it, the same rice might also be sold in large sacks; cheaper per kilogram, but requiring a much bigger upfront purchase.

Both options exist because people buy differently depending on their needs: 

Sometimes they buy for the moment.

Sometimes they buy for volume and long-term storage.

Yet when it comes to mobile data, the telecom industry has largely forced consumers into just one model: buying the sack.

The Mobile Data Sack Problem

In most markets around the world, mobile data is sold as large bundles of gigabytes: 5 GB, 20 GB, 100 GB, etc.

This is the telecom equivalent of asking every customer to buy the 10-kilogram sack of rice, whether they want it or not.

From a pricing perspective, it often looks attractive. The price per gigabyte decreases with larger bundles, just like the price per kilogram decreases with bulk rice purchases.

But from a consumer perspective, the experience is very different. Because unlike rice, mobile data is abstract and extremely difficult to estimate.

Consumers rarely know how much data their apps will consume, whether they will actually use their full bundle and if their usage will increase/decrease unexpectedly

The result is a familiar pattern: some people run out of data, while others overpay for unused gigabytes. Either way, the customer is forced to guess.

Human Buying Behaviour Works Differently

If we look beyond telecom, most markets have learned to adapt to natural buying behaviour.

From time to time people prefer small, affordable units that match immediate needs.

Think about everyday purchases:

• coffee by the cup
  
  
• parking paid by the hour
  
  
• ready made lunch salad

Consumers value clarity and control. They want to understand what they are paying for and they want to match purchases to real needs.

Bulk buying certainly has its place. Families buy sacks of rice. But bulk purchasing works best when consumption is understandable.

GigaBytes of mobile data, however, are anything but understandable. Software updates, a few hours of video streaming, and use of Wi-Fi can dramatically change usage in any direction.

The Cost Illusion

Telecom pricing often creates an interesting illusion: larger bundles look cheaper because the unit price per gigabyte drops dramatically.

But the actual cost per gigabyte for the consumer may end up higher, if a large part of the bundle goes unused. It’s the same situation as buying a huge sack of rice and throwing part of it away: theoretically cheap, practically wasteful.

Consumers end up balancing two risks:

• buying too little and running out
  
  
• buying too much and wasting money

Neither option feels ideal.

What If Mobile Data Would Fit Your Daily Life

The lesson from the rice market is simple: Different situations warrant different buying behaviour.

Sometimes consumers want to buy in bulk. Sometimes they want to buy exactly what they need right now. Mobile data should evolve in the same direction.

Instead of forcing users into large bundles, connectivity could become more flexible and transparent, allowing people to access the data experience they need when they actually need it.

For example:

• paying for high-quality connectivity during important moments
  
  
• matching usage to real-time needs instead of monthly predictions

This approach reflects how people naturally make purchasing decisions. Not by calculating gigabytes (which nobody understands), but by focusing on the need they may have at a particular moment.

A Shift Towards Simpler Data

Mobile connectivity is nowadays as essential as electricity, water, or food. Yet the way it is sold still often reflects legacy pricing structures designed around network limitations rather than human behaviour.

As digital experiences continue to grow from video calls and cloud gaming to immersive applications, consumers will increasingly expect mobile data to become simpler, clearer, and more aligned with real-life usage patterns.

Because in the end, most people don’t want to buy a sack of gigabytes.

Sometimes they just want a portion that perfectly fits the moment.

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