Growing device ecosystem to fuel mobile data traffic growth

A growing device ecosystem and increased adoption of multimedia services will boost traffic further as 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) networks are rolled out across India, reveals the MBiT Index study, Nokia's annual report on mobile broadband performance in the country. According to the study, overall mobile data traffic grew by 50 per cent in 2015, with 3G traffic outpacing 2G across all circles for the first time. This was the result of a mature network, device and content ecosystem. 3G device penetration more than doubled during the year while new network launches and expansions in existing circles boosted data adoption beyond larger towns and cities. Subscriber appetite is growing for multimedia services, with video and social networking now making up 60 per cent of data traffic. Average monthly data usage for 3G surpassed 750MB per subscriber and, with operators poised to launch 4G LTE networks, faster data speeds will fuel an even greater surge in traffic - echoing 4G LTE launches in other parts of the world. In 2016, 2G still has the potential to drive internet adoption in Category B and C circles in the short to medium term.