Mobile data usage up 92% as telcos sweeten offers

New Delhi: Mobile data traffic has increased 92 per cent, as telecom companies offer low value packs for adding new users. A study carried out by Nokia Siemens reveals that 3G data consumption has gone up from 338 MB/month in December 2011 to 434 MB/month in December 2012. Data consumption on 2G has gone up from 87 MB to 115 MB during the same period.

“The 3G tariff reduction by operators in mid 2012 led to the significant growth in 3G data consumption across the country. 3G services generated one-third of the total mobile data in the country in the second half of the year — up from one-fourth in the first half,” Nokia Siemens said while releasing the study.

Telecom operators are going the sachet way, launching low-cost packs to woo the new cell phone-Netizen. From one rupee a day to Rs 25 for seven days’ usage, telecom service providers are coming up with novel plans to attract mobile Internet users.

Aircel, Idea Cellular and Vodafone India have launched, or are launching, inexpensive data packs aimed at students and those who have never logged in via their smartphone.

The Nokia Siemens study further reveals that there is a very strong tendency to access mobile data using smartphones. Forty nine per cent of the total data is accessed by smartphone users across the country. Tablet users account for only 3 per cent of data users, mostly concentrated in metro regions. This underscores the need for operators to make networks more smartphone friendly to ensure a better customer experience.

“The fact that data consumption by 3G users has tripled in one year clearly shows the rapid and steady increase in mobile data consumption in India. This translates into the need for high-quality mobile broadband services with improved speed and service quality to satisfy mobile broadband users,” said Sandeep Girotra, head of India region at Nokia Siemens Networks.

The trend in mobile data growth in India is in line with other high growth mobile data markets around the world. According to Nokia Siemens, operators worldwide will need to be prepared to provide 1GB of personalised data per user by 2020.