60% mobile users face network problems while accessing net: Report

One in three now uses smartphone and three among five smartphone users have subscribed to mobile broadband

More than 60 per cent mobile users in India face network problems while accessing internet across various locations, say a study by Ericsson. The smartphone penetration level is higher in mid and small cities at 33 per cent against large cities at 27 per cent. “We have found people are facing differing mobile data issues depending upon location. About 63 per cent people are facing quality and reliability issues (such as voice drops, connection breaks, inconsistent speed, non-availability of 3G) inside their houses,” said the report. The study was conducted in 33 major cities. Around one in three are using a smartphone and three among five smartphone users have subscribed to mobile broadband.  For users who do not use mobile broadband, affordability and digital literacy are prime obstacles to adoption and 48 per cent of those using mobile internet are unable to perceive any difference between 2G and 3G services. The study was conducted between September 2014 and January 2015 and covered 15,000 urban households and people aged between 15 and 75 years. This sample is estimated to represent 127 million smartphone users in urban India.

About 68 per cent mobile users application-related issues while outdoors or during commuting. Also, 62 per cent users in mid-size and small cities face issues of inconsistent speed and app usage while outdoors and 63 per cent have web page load time issues indoors.

According to the study, 70 per cent people use mobile broadband to access video and 27 per cent more are willing to start accessing it but not doing at present due to cost and network barriers identified in the survey.

About 61 per cent use mobile data to access social networks; 54 per cent for downloading music and videos and similar number of people use instant messengers; 46 per cent for internet browsing and 45 per cent for emails.

"People are willing to pay but there are certain barriers that are coming in the way of growth of mobile broadband in the country. Network performance continues to be a challenge and is a key driver of consumer perception…affordability poses a major barrier to mobile broadband adoption, particularly in a market as diverse as India, where hugely varied socioeconomic factors affect price sensitivity,\" Gupta said.

"Between our survey conducted in 2013 and this one, we have found people have started making payments from their mobile phones. Thirty-six per cent people are using mobile broadband for banking services, 25 per cent for bill payments and 17 per cent for e-commerce," Gupta added.