The above graph represents the total volume of mobile data usage in India by year, starting from CY 2014 to the most recent completed year. The total volume of mobile data usage increased from 20,092 million GB in 2017 to 46,404 million GB in 2018. That represents a whopping 131% YoY growth in data usage. However, this 131% year-over-over growth in mobile data consumption in India is a bit slower as compared to the growth witnessed in previous 2-3 years.
| Region | India |
| Source | Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) |
| Last Updated | 03 October 2019 |
| Graph ID | 501 |
| Duration | 2014 – 2018 |
As the graph shows, the usage of mobile data in India has increased rapidly over the last few years, especially after the launch of 4G technology in 2016.
In the year 2014, about 281.58 million wireless or mobile subscribers in India consumed approximately 828 million GB data. Surprisingly, after the introduction of 4G technology in 2016, India witnessed tremendous growth in volume of wireless data subscribers and data usage. The total mobile data usage in India increased an astonishing 237.6% YoY during 2016 to 4,642 million GB. The 4G (LTE) technology contributed to the major part (nearly 60%) of the total data usage by Indians.
The wireless data consumption in India further increased a whopping 332.8% YoY in CY 2017, to 20,092 million GB. This was the highest-ever annual growth the country has witnessed in mobile data usage till date.
Mobile Data Usage in India: More Information
TRAI estimates that mobile data consumption in India will increase by more than 200% in the next two years as all telecom service providers now offering massive data at an affordable price. The total estimated wireless data usage is estimated to reach 100 billion GB per annum by 2020.
Note: The total volume of mobile/wireless data usage comprises data usage by GSM subscribers and CDMA subscribers during the year. The GSM data usage includes volume of 2G, 3G and 4G data usage.
India’s Telecom Industry: Additional Information
India is currently the second-largest country in the world in terms of the number number of mobile subscribers and internet users. While the penetration of internet users in India is still moderate, mobile phone subscribers have almost hit the saturation point with 80% penetration.
The Telecom industry in India is going through consolidation after the debut of Reliance Jio. The government-backed BSNL is struggling and is almost on the verge of collapsing. On the other hand, in order to compete with Reliance Jio that has taken the industry by the storm with its future-ready network, all the top players have shaken hands.
Airtel and Tata Docomo merger paved the way for other companies struggling with declining ARPU and mobile subscriber base. Soon, Vodafone and Idea followed the footmarks and merged together to become the largest telecom provider in India. The celebration, however, was short-lived as Reliance Jio leapfrogged Vodafone Idea by the end of June 2019.
The telecom market in India is divided into three segments – wireless, wireline and internet services.
The above graph is a part of Dazeinfo GraphFarm – the most trusted source of hundreds of thousands of market graphs. Our team of researchers mines millions of data points every month to bring the most updated and validated set of data points representing the comprehensive view in a graphical format. From mobile to e-commerce, from Retail to healthcare, from startups to SMEs we have carefully designed thousands of graphs for those who value and understand the importance of data visualisation.
