The Indian telecom sector has taken major strides over the past few years to emerge as one of the fastest growing telecom markets globally.
Availability of 3G-enabled handsets, extensive network coverage and multiple services are some of the factors that have driven this growth. Over the past 10-12 months, 3G service launch has resulted in an increase in data demand, riding on the back of fast speeds and innovative applications and services. Also, there has been a significant increase in the demand for high speed access on the go. According to studies, the 3G subscriber base would witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 88 per cent till 2014.
3G technology is all about faster data access ? shifting the focus from the ears to the eyes. It is a next-generation wireless network technology that provides high speed bandwidth on hand-held devices, laptops and personal computers. High data transfer rates allow 3G networks to offer multimedia services combining voice and data. These services seamlessly combine superior voice quality, high speed mobile IP services, rich media and, therefore, diverse content.
There is no doubt that 3G is the next big thing in the Indian telecom scenario. Just as broadband internet access took over from conventional dial-up connections in the past and significantly changed the way one was able to use the internet on conventional desktops and laptops, 3G promises to be the next big wave in the Indian telecom sector. Apart from increasing capacities and speeds, 3G provides users the convenience of multitasking, throwing up the vista of wireless knowledge workers with far greater flexibility, efficiency and speed of response to a multitude of demanding situations in real time.
Consumers can now avail of a range of mobile services including mobile office applications, virtual banking, home shopping, videoconferencing, rich multimedia with live audio and video streaming, e-mail, instant messaging with audio/video clips; access to social networking portals; online entertainment including live mobile TV; and other location-based and personalised applications.
The demand for these services has grown significantly since the 3G launch in November 2010. The growing service uptake has been prompted by several factors such as rising consumer aspirations, and the increasing demand for advanced value-added services and high-end applications. The increasing aspirations, in turn, are a result of the country?s economic growth.
Growth of the Indian economy has been mirrored in the increasing telecom subscriber base and the deployment of technologies by service providers. With over 800 million subscribers, the Indian market today has many firsts to its credit.
Other than crucial infrastructure upgrades to prepare their networks for 3G technology, telecom operators have lined up engaging content and applications, smart services and phones, attractive data plans and strong education-cum-marketing exercises to bring customers onto the new platform.
Globally, there are over 1 billion 3G subscribers in over 150 countries. The share of 3G subscribers in the global user base stands at 18.4 per cent, and this is expected to increase to 42.7 per cent by 2015. The global 3G subscriber base is projected to record a CAGR of around 13 per cent during 2010-13. 3G mobile services have resulted in an increase in mobile broadband adoption and data revenues for mobile operators as well as higher ARPUs.
In India, industry stakeholders such as policymakers, telecom operators, content providers, application developers and end-users play an important role in shaping 3G deployment in various phases. Regulation, the policy framework and market competition are important factors for 3G deployment in India. Economic and social aspects like buying power, education levels and the existing information and communication technology infrastructure would also impact the adoption of these services.
Going forward, as 3G becomes a more intrinsic part of consumers? lives, the ubiquitous mobile handset is expected to become a life management tool for business, work and leisure. Consumer behaviour will further drive the development of applications and services. The key to the commercial success of 3G technologies lies in understanding consumers, their lifestyles and attitudes, and then delivering the winning applications.
