Driven by cheaper data plans and mobile handsets, along with increasing popularity of video streaming services, Indians consumed over 11 GB data on an average in December 2019, according to Nokia’s annual Mobile Broadband India Traffic Index (MbiT) study.
“The average monthly data usage per user surpassed 11 GB in December, growing 16% annually due to increase in upgradation of the 4G network, low data prices, affordable smartphones, and the ever-increasing popularity of videos,” Nokia India chief marketing officer Amit Marwah said.
As per the study, data traffic was driven by 4G which constituted 96% of the total data traffic consumed across the country, while 3G data traffic registered its highest ever decline of 30%. The number of 4G handsets devices also grew 1.5x to reach 501 million units due to the availability of a range of feature-rich models and competitive prices.
The study noted that video viewership had been fuelled by growth in number of over-the-top (OTT) platforms, increased streaming of regional language content and cheaper subscription plans. “The online video platforms are truly going mass in terms of frequency and duration of consumption. Mobile phones have become the dominant medium of online video consumption in India with widespread freedom of access,” it added.
The study found that average time Indians spent on OTT platforms stood at about 70 minutes/day, while average frequency of access is 12.5 times per week and average single session duration is about 40 minutes.
Further, about 88% of daily online video watching time happens on mobile phones, followed by smart TVs (5%), laptops (4%), PCs (2%) and tablets (1%).
