India had the highest average data usage per smartphone among all the regions surveyed by Ericsson for the most recent edition of its mobility report, with the company noting that Indian smartphone users used an average 9.8 gigabytes (GB) of data per month. This number is set to nearly double by 2024, according to the ‘Ericsson Mobility Report, June 2019’ edition.
The survey also found that Indian smartphone users are willing to pay more than 66 per cent premium for the soon-to-arrive 5G services.The report establishes that 5G is likely to bring about a sharp increase in the consumption of data around the world, with uptake expected to happen faster than previously predicted. India is already on the verge of starting 5G trials with the Digital Communications Commission, the highest decision-making body in the telecom department recently clearing spectrum allocation norms for 5G trials in India.
Spectrum auctions are also scheduled to be held this calendar year and the government has asked the regulator to reconsider its spectrum recommendations, including for 5G radiowaves, to ensure competition and greater participation at a time when the sector is struggling for profits.
Meanwhile, the report has also pegged significant growth in total smartphone subscriptions in the India region (which also includes Nepal and Bhutan), with the number pegged to reach 1.1 billion by 2024, growing at 11 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Mobile broadband technologies now make up more than 50 per cent of subscriptions, it added. Video consumption is set to be the largest driver of data usage.
Speaking on the findings, Nitin Bansal, Head of Ericsson India and Head of Network Solutions, South East Asia, Oceania and India pointed out, “...we have found that Indian smartphone users are willing to pay more than 66 percent premium for 5G services. In fact, more than half of the smartphone users in India expect their own provider to switch to 5G or will wait a maximum of 6 months before moving to another provider that does”.
Surge in mobile data subscribers expected
According to the report, significant growth is expected in total smartphone subscriptions in the India region (including Nepal and Bhutan), with the number pegged to reach 1.1 billion by 2024.