India data traffic rose 60 times in five years

NEW DELHI: Data traffic in India increased 60 times in the last five years, among the highest globally, according to a report by Nokia. In 2020, data traffic grew 36%, primarily due to a rise in 4G data consumption as 4G subscribers surpassed 700 mln with 100 mln new additions during the year, the Mobile Broadband India Traffic Index or MBiT 2021 report on mobile broadband performance in India said.

Further, 4G alone constituted nearly 99% of the total data traffic consumed across the country. In December, average monthly data usage per user reached 13.5 GB, growing over 20% annually owing to an increase in data subscribers and mobile video consumption, as well as the contribution from new users in rural areas.

"Mobile emerged as primary source of entertainment and productivity as an average Indian spent approximately five hours daily on a smartphone which is one of the highest averages globally," Nokia said in its report.

The company expects the total time spent monthly on short content to grow four times by 2025. With only 22 mln fixed broadband subscribers, there is significant growth opportunity for this segment, the company said. Even though telecom companies have not yet launched fifth-generation or 5G services in India, there are already 2 mln active 5G devices in use across the country.

In this regard, demand for enhanced broadband and fixed access for more capacity and coverage would further establish the need for 5G in the future, Nokia said.

Regarding 4G-based devices, the report showed that the 4G device base surpassed 607 mln units, reaching a 77% penetration level.