Mobile data traffic rose 74 per cent as of 2014-end: Study

Driven by a strong growth in both 2G and 3G services, mobile data traffic rose 74 per cent as of 2014-end, compared with the beginning of the year.

This rise was primarily driven by a strong 3G growth with a 114 per cent rise, while the 2G data traffic growth was reported to be 41 per cent, according to a study by Nokia Networks.

The study - MBit Index - found that on an average, a 3G subscriber consumes over three times more data than a 2G subscriber. The use of 3G devices capable of supporting a speed of up to 21.1 MBPS increased from 23 per cent in 2013 to 54 per cent in 2014.

The 3G data consumption was 52 per cent of the total data consumption in December 2014 as against 42 per cent in January 2014. In September 2014 witnessed 3G data consumption surpassing 2G use across India.

On an average 3G data use increased to 688 MB per month in 2014, a 29 per cent jump compared to 2013. Average 2G data use also increased to 216 MB per month, a 48 per cent jump, and improvements in 2G network quality helped mobile broadband access.

Also, on an average, a 3G user consumed 3.2 times more data than a 2G user in 2014. The study also revealed an increase in the smart phones use in 2014, as consumers increasingly migrated to smart devices due to their affordability.

"The 2014 study results clearly show the strong momentum of 3G in India, which has been the primary driver for the data traffic growth. A surge in 3G and 4G compatible smart phone use underlines the greater need for operators to expand the 3G network coverage and selectively rollout 4G services for higher speeds across all the circles while modernising the existing 2G networks," said Sandeep Girotra, vice president and head of India Region, Nokia Networks.

While 3G data consumption is primarily driven by rising data consumption per user, with the subscriber base remaining more or less flat, it is imperative for operators to focus on increasing the 3G subscriber base, adding more and more active 3G data subscribers.

In 2014, the growth of mobile broadband traffic in India prompted many operators expanding their 3G and 4G networks.