The total number of mobile phone subscribers in India is around 930.20 million and a majority of them still continue to be GSM mobile phone users with basic 2G internet service. Since the advent of 3G internet in India in 2008, the popularity of such internet service is still limited to an initiated few. Several factors like unafordability, unavailability of 3G services, lower infusion of 3G handsets and the lack of opportunity to experience such factors can be named for such a trend in India.
However the fact still remains that a majority of the wireless users are exposed to the third generation of internet connectivity. The average Indian mobile user's needs include a medium data requirement like accessing emails, web portals and instant messaging services like watsapp and facebook. Voice calling feature enabled by this network still continues to be the most popular service used by most people.
Then comes the highly coveted 4G internet services which are in the most nascent stages in India. For all those tech-savvy people who understand the potential of this service offered by a 4G network, the idea of India going online the next generation of mobile connectivity is like a dream come true. With faster data transfer speeds on devices like tablets, laptops, television and mobile sets, the 4G internet promises a great future. Live music and video streaming, 3D visual services, high definition picture quality and holographic gaming are some of the offerings of the new technology.
For mobile manufacturers, 4G connectivity means a whole new era of internet telephony.The main difference between normal telephony and internet telephony is that in normal telephony, circuit switching technology is used, whereas Internet Telephony is based on packet switching technology. Unlike 3G, 4G service swill only allow calls which are made online. What with new widely popular instant messaging and calling services being provided by watsapp, viber, facebook and skype, 4G seems to be the future of all communication networks.
The final verdict for most Indians today will still be in favour of a 3G connection. It seems that accept for the metropolitan populations, not many Indians have had the taste of the wonders of a faster internet connection. The unavailability of 4G handsets in the country's markets is also a duller. Moreover, with only 4 major telecom service providers- Bharati Airtel, Aircel, BSNL and MTNL which have been given the license for the 4G network, the expansion of a faster service across the country is going to be a huge challenge. According to an online poll conducted by Trak.in a webprotal concerned with current trends in the telecom business, BSNL and Airtel continued to reign the charts of best internet providers in India.
But lets not be too pessimistic in judging the Indian openness to technology. With the largest market for mobiles globally and that too with approximately 12 million users joining the network each year, it seems only a matter of time before Indians are fully swept off by the new 4G wave.
