Trends & Forecasts

Mobile data traffic in India grows more than 50% in first half of 2012

Mobile data traffic increased by 54% in India between December 2011 and June 2012...

Mobile data traffic increased by 54% in India between December 2011 and June 2012, according to data from Nokia Siemens Networks’ MBit Index report. The report aggregates primary data across all the 2G (GSM and EDGE) and 3G multivendor networks managed by Nokia Siemens Networks for operators in India.

The company currently provides 30% of the total 2G and 3G networks in India which provide services to about 300 million subscribers. This large sample size, amounting to a third of India’s 2G and 3G mobile networks, offers a strong indication of data traffic trends across all networks in the country.

The MBit Index report indicates that despite low 3G device penetration, by the end of June 2012 3G has outpaced 2G in terms of data traffic growth. As 2G networks have contributed over 75% of the total data traffic generated, it is expected that 2G will continue to play a pivotal role in providing basic mobile internet in India.

With 3G data now generating 25% of the country’s total mobile data traffic, 3G is likely to be the driver for continued high data growth in the country. The report further reveals that the recent tariff reductions in 3G services have resulted in doubling 3G data traffic month on month. It points out that affordable, high-speed broadband availability encourages heavy data consumption.

“Our report highlights India’s enormous appetite for consuming data services on the go and hence the need to provide high quality mobile broadband services to satisfy users,” said Sandeep Girotra, head of India region at Nokia Siemens Networks.

“While it’s important that 2G networks need to be constantly strengthened across the country, 3G network coverage, especially in residential areas, needs to be enhanced. In addition, further improving the quality of data services and fulfilling expectations of various user segments are vital to acquiring, satisfying and retaining mobile broadband customers,” said Girotra.

Web browsing contributes 81% of 2G data traffic, while downloading videos constitutes 17%. The report also indicates a steady growth of 4% in multimedia content traffic over 2G networks across the country from December 2011 to June 2012.



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