Mobile data consumption per individual in India has skyrocketed from 5 GB to over 20 GB per person per month over the past five years. Abhijit Kishore, COO of Vodafone Idea, revealed this trend, emphasising that internet usage is now at an all-time high.
Kishore attributed this growth to several factors, including the proliferation of content, network expansion, affordable data plans and the availability of budget-friendly devices. The internet landscape offers diverse content, including regional material, which contributes to the increased consumption.
The rise in content consumption extends to OTT (over-the-top) platforms and online gaming. Additionally, live streaming of major sports events like the cricket World Cup and football World Cup has further fueled data usage.
Amit Marwah, Nokia India’s head of marketing and corporate affairs, highlighted that India’s data consumption has surged by 20% year-on-year, reaching a staggering 17.4 exabytes per month. On average, individual subscribers now consume 24 GB of data monthly, showcasing India’s voracious appetite for connectivity.
Reliance Jio, with approximately 41% market share, reported a 2.4-fold increase in annual data traffic over the past three years. Per capita monthly data usage surged from 13.3 GB to 28.7 GB.
Despite India’s reputation for having some of the world’s lowest tariff rates, the exponential data growth prompts questions about its sustainability. Recent tariff hikes by Jio and Bharti Airtel signal a shift in the industry, marking the first such increase in nearly three years.
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