Users consuming on average 7.4 GB data put India ahead of UK, South Korea

An average Indian mobile user consumed 7.4 GB data per month in 2017 over mobile networks alone, which catapulted India ahead of the developed markets like the UK, South Korea and France.

The average consumption over both Wi-Fi and mobile networks in India was 8.8 GB data per user per month, at par with other developed markets. Data consumption continued to be driven by video, which contributed 65-75% of total mobile data traffic, according to a Nokia MBiT report released on Thursday.

And this growth is likely to continue with the drop in prices of devices, both smartphones and feature phones.

The main driver for this growth has been 4G services, which contributed 82% of the data. The traffic grew 135% year on year with the rapid deployment of 4G networks and affordable devices. 3G data grew 286% in 2017, driven by an increased appetite for data consumption and better coverage.

Nokia MBiT Index is a report on mobile broadband performance in India.

The increase in data consumption was propelled by the availability of Hindi and regional language content as well as the proliferation of original OTT (over-the-top)-only series. In 2017, Hindi and regional languages comprised more than 90% of popular videos watched online.

The telecom operators across the country expanded their 4G services in 2017 and have narrowed the gap with 3G coverage in the country. The 4G network expansion was supported by the dramatic growth of LTE devices in the country, with 9 out of 10 smartphones shipped in 2017 supporting 4G. The LTE-capable device base grew to 218 million in 2017, with 74% being voice over LTE (VoLTE) capable as well, as per the report.

While releasing the report, Sanjay Malik, head of India market, Nokia, said, “The year 2017 saw telcos expand 4G networks, and this momentum is likely to continue. The drop in prices of devices, both smartphones and feature phones, is driving data consumption in the country. The next wave of growth in the Indian broadband market can come from the untapped base of feature phone users who will potentially move directly from 2G to 4G.”

However, Indian telcos will need to explore innovative network technologies, like carrier aggregation and MIMO, to meet the growing data demand. These technologies will also help them prepare networks for the 5G and connected devices era, he said.

This year, as the adoption of 4G moves beyond metros and tier-1 cities, 4G will continue to drive the bulk of data traffic in 2018. LTE-A / LTE-Pro and Cloud RAN could help Indian operators enhance the customer experience, reduce churn, increase market share and drive higher average revenue per user.

And driven by operators investing in virtualised networks as part of their 4G rollout, the commercial launch of 5G in India is expected by 2020, in line with other developed markets.oice over LTE (VoLTE) capable as well, as per the report.

While releasing the report, Sanjay Malik, head of India market, Nokia, said, “The year 2017 saw telcos expand 4G networks, and this momentum is likely to continue. The drop in prices of devices, both smartphones and feature phones, is driving data consumption in the country. The next wave of growth in the Indian broadband market can come from the untapped base of feature phone users who will potentially move directly from 2G to 4G.”

However, Indian telcos will need to explore innovative network technologies, like carrier aggregation and MIMO, to meet the growing data demand. These technologies will also help them prepare networks for the 5G and connected devices era, he said.

This year, as the adoption of 4G moves beyond metros and tier-1 cities, 4G will continue to drive the bulk of data traffic in 2018. LTE-A / LTE-Pro and Cloud RAN could help Indian operators enhance the customer experience, reduce churn, increase market share and drive higher average revenue per user.

And driven by operators investing in virtualised networks as part of their 4G rollout, the commercial launch of 5G in India is expected by 2020, in line with other developed markets.

...& ANALYSIS

• Data consumption continued to be driven by video, which contributed 65-75% of total mobile data traffic
   
• The traffic for 4G services grew 135% year on year with the rapid deployment of 4G networks and affordable devices
   
• 4G expansion was supported by the dramatic growth of LTE devices, with 9 out of 10 smartphones shipped in 2017 supporting 4G
   
• The next wave of growth can come from the untapped base of feature phone users who will potentially move directly from 2G to 4G