Nokia study indicates an 85 percent growth in 3G traffic this past year
With 2015 turning out to be being the year of 3G growth, the stage is set for 4G to own 2016
Nokia’s annual report on mobile broadband performance in India--the MBiT Index study--uncovered a range of interesting statistics on the proliferation of mobile broadband usage and penetration across the country.
Among the biggest findings was an 85 percent growth in 3G data traffic in 2015, which was simultaneously accompanied by a 12 percent decrease in 2G traffic. This could be largely attributed to a lower uptake of 2G-only handsets over the course of the year, given that affordable 3G handsets are now virtually ubiquitous. 3G data was responsible for 64 percent of the total mobile data traffic last year, largely owing to the fact that one out of every three phones sold were 3G enabled.
The app categories most responsible for driving this data traffic were, predictably, video and audio (38-42%), social networking (18-22%) and communications (16-20%).
On the 4G front, the study found approximately 47 million 4G devices in use, with 8 of the top 15 4G devices priced in the sub Rs 10,000 band.
With this large proliferation of 4G devices--and the continual availability of more affordable devices--mobile data consumption is expected to see a huge growth this year with the launch of 4G services countrywide.