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India will have 46 million mobile internet users by September
By siliconindia
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Friday, 26 August 2011, 17:38 IST
Bangalore: India will have 46 million mobile internet users by September, of which 35 million will be active users, a joint report by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and market research firm IMRB reveals. This represents a 15 percent growth quarter to quarter.
The studies also indicate that mobile applications have been at the heart of mobile internet growth. The end users are increasingly relying on these applications for doing their daily work and for entertainment. E-mail, Chat, Search, Social Networking Sites & Portal are the most commonly used applications for mobile internet. Around 5.4 million active users have access to mobile applications, the report says.
President of IAMAI Subho Ray says, "The convenience of accessing internet on the move coupled with good tariff plans and connectivity has ensured growth of the segment. Going by the quarter-on-quarter growth, the mobile internet sector will continue to grow at a fast pace."
Mobile internet usage also gained ground with the introduction of 3G spectrum. 3G has enabled users with speedier options of internet access and also opportunities for video calling and video on demand. Increase in digital literacy, availability of special featured mobile phones and smart mobiles at a lower rate, lesser subscription rentals and greater awareness of the internet medium are among the crucial factors that have contributed to mobile internet's popularity in India. The average handset cost for an internet phone is Rs 6,700, while the average mobile phone bill for an active mobile internet user is Rs 389.
The study also says that a large number of mobile internet users between the age group of 35-44 years use chat as an application and those above 44 years mostly use only e-mail, search and chat as far as their mobile internet usage is concerned.
Prepaid connections continue to be the dominant type with around 90 per cent of the active mobile Internet users having a prepaid connection, the report points out.