Indian Mobile Data Traffic Surged in 2012

New information from the latest Nokia Siemens Networks’ MBit Index study shows a 92% increase in mobile data traffic generated by both 2G and 3G services in India last year.

The study further reveals that mobile data traffic generated by 3G services increased by 196% while mobile data traffic generated by 2G services increased by 66% during the period.

Based on information gleaned in the study, each 3G user now consumes approximately 300% more data on an average than a 2G user. Additionally, a typical 3G user consumes 434 MB per month while a 2G user consumes 115 MB per month.

“In the first half of the research period, December 2011- June 2012,” the study reads, “data traffic generated by 3G services increased by 78% while that of 2G services increased by 47%. In the second half, July 2012 – December 2012, data traffic generated by 3G services increased by 54% while that of 2G services increased by 18% on a larger base.”

If you do the math at home, it’s easy to see that the growth rate of 3G data in the second half of 2012 was almost triple that of the growth rate of 2G.

“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,” explains Sandeep Girotra, head of India region at Nokia Siemens Networks. “In addition, the observations of trends in various circles underscore the need for a special focus on further enhancing 3G network coverage in A, B and C circles across the country. Constantly improving the quality of data services and fulfilling growing expectations of mobile broadband customers will be a win-win for both operators and data customers.”

To learn more about the new report, click here.