Mobile internet users to touch 213 million by June 2015: IAMAI Report

Mobile Internet users in rural India will touch 53 million by June this year.

The Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) along with IMRB International has released the 'Mobile Internet in India 2014'. According to the report, the number of mobile internet users in India is likely to touch 213 million by June 2015 from the 173 million in December 2014.

The report also finds that mobile Internet users in rural India is set to grow at an impressive rate of 33 per cent from October'14 to reach 49 million by March 2015 and 53 million by June 2015. The maximum growth will be seen in urban India, which is likely to see 143 million mobile internet users by March 2015 and 160 million by June 2015.

According to the report, the average monthly mobile bill has increased by 13 per cent to Rs 439. Significantly, the proportion of this amount spend on mobile Internet was 45 per cent last year and has now increased to 54 per cent this year. As compared to last year, the average monthly spend on mobile Internet has gone up by 36 per cent to reach Rs 235. The report also says that 33 per cent of the Mobile Internet users avail rental plans with limited downloads, followed by 21 per cent who subscribe to unlimited rental plans. Limited download rental plans are more common across the demographic segments except for non-working women.

Among non-working women, 26 per cent access rental mobile Internet plans that allow unlimited access to the Internet. A similar plan is also availed by one-fifth of college going students and working women. Meanwhile, almost one-fourth of the school going kids and one-fifth of the non-working women use mobile Internet on a Pay per Site basis. Nearly 40 per cent of young men, working women as well as older men access mobile Internet plans which entail limited access to Internet.