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The evolution of smartphone apps and their growing relevance to the day-to-day life seem to have given a rise to the new niche segment of mobile data users in the Indian market. Latest findings in the India appendix of Ericsson Mobility Report revealed that the proportion of people from higher age-group using mobile data has witnessed sharp surge between 2013 and 2015.
Released on Tuesday, the report highlighted the changing pattern of mobile data user demographics in India.
In 2013, the proportion of 20-30 years age-group was 49 per cent in overall mobile data users, which fell to 38 per cent in 2015. Whereas the proportion of 31-40 years age-group in overall mobile data users witnessed rapid and sharp surge from 10 per cent in 2013 to 29 per cent in 2015.
"Mobile broadband is bridging the digital divide between rural and urban populations. A growing proportion of people from less educated, lower income groups now download apps and stream video content from the internet using mobile devices," the report noted.
It reveals that on average, Indian smartphone users spend over three hours a day on their smartphones and 25 per cent of them check their phones over 100 times a day.
Around one-third of the time spent on smartphones is used for apps, primarily chat, social media, and gaming.
Notably, there is a slump in the proportion of 12-19 years age-group in mobile data users from 30 per cent to 17 per cent. The older generation has shown steady rise as the proportion of 41+ age group has increased to 16 per cent in 2015 against what was 11 per cent put together in 2013.
"The older generation is also going digital. The proportion of people aged over 50 who use smartphones quadrupled between 2013 and 2015, albeit from a small base," it said.
The rise in the proportion of older users in the overall mobile data users is seen as an outcome of the rapid growth of smartphone-based apps that includes shopping apps, social media apps, knowledge/information apps, health and leisure apps.
Consumers in smaller cities and towns are also rapidly embracing smartphones and mobile internet, as a source of both information and entertainment. The total number of mobile subscriptions in India is expected to increase to approximately 1.4 billion by 2020, resulting in a population penetration of 100 per cent. This growth will primarily be driven by the increasing affordability of devices and services, the report noted.
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