Data traffic in India has multiplied by 60 in the last five years; it is one of the highest in the world. Last year, data traffic grew 36% year-on-year, mainly due to increased 4G data consumption, as 4G subscribers exceeded 700 million with 100 million new additions over the past year. These figures were mentioned in the Nokia Mobile Broadband Internet Traffic Index 2021 (MBiT). The report claims that 4G alone accounts for almost 99% of the total data traffic consumed across the country.
On average, Indians spend 5 hours a day on smartphones
Average monthly data consumption per user reached 13,5 GB in December 2020, increasing by more than 20% annually due to an increase in data subscribers and mobile video consumption. Mobile devices have become the main source of entertainment and productivity as the average Indian spends around 5 hours a day on a smartphone which is one of the highest averages in the world. The short video format was the fastest growing category of content. The total time spent each month on short content is expected to quadruple by 2025, according to the report.
2 million 5G devices in India
In devices, the report states that the 4G device base has exceeded 607 million units, reaching a penetration level of 77%. VoLTE devices accounted for 93% of total LTE phones. Penetration of 4G-enabled devices reached 77% nationwide in 2020, with the number of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) smartphones rising to 563 million. In fact, while there is no 5G in the country at the consumer level, there are already 2 million active 5G devices in use. The report predicts double-digit growth for the smartphone industry this year for a variety of obvious reasons. Despite the absence of 5G, mobile broadband penetration in India is around 63%. However, fixed broadband penetration is only 7,5% of households. With 22 million fixed broadband subscribers, the report indicates that there is significant growth opportunity for this. Nokia MBiT Index is a report on the performance of mobile broadband in India. Via: Nokia