Ericsson forecasts that India?s mobile subscriber base will grow from 795 million in 2013 to 1,145 million subscribers by 2020. Simultaneously, smartphone penetration will grow from 10 per cent (about 90 million devices) in 2013 to 45 per cent (about 520 million devices).
According to the telecom equipment vendor, a strong user base and high-speed broadband connectivity will fundamentally change the way people live, interact and do business; with consumers expecting data connectivity at all times, everywhere.
Ericsson further states that broadband usage is on the rise with social media, web browsing and chat driving more than a third of the mobile broadband traffic currently. Video consumption also continues to grow. However, providing ubiquitous mobile broadband experience continues to be a challenge, with only a third being able to access internet over a mobile broadband network every time they attempt to do so.
Ajay Gupta, head of strategy and marketing, Ericsson India, says, ?Smartphones and mobile broadband services are becoming more affordable. As a result, we are seeing the advent of a networked society in India as in other parts of the world that will benefit consumers and businesses alike.?
At present, majority of users value superior network performance and rate network reliability, coverage and speed as the top three parameters for a good mobile broadband experience. Ericsson points out that operators looking to effectively monetise broadband services and tap future growth opportunities need to significantly invest in scaling network performance in three areas – ensuring network ubiquity, consistent application coverage and new charging models based on personalisation, that address consumer?s specific preferences.
According to Ericsson, consumers today expect ubiquitous and high performing networks everywhere they go. At the same time, different applications being used by consumers require high bandwidth from the networks. For example, if social media today is all about sharing images and text, tomorrow it will be all about sharing HD video in real time. Therefore, to ensure a superior experience for consumers, operators need to ensure quality application coverage.
