Lockdown ensures significant average data consumption uptick; ARPU touches Rs 80 after 9 quarters

The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown increased work from home, e-learning, usage of online streaming platforms, etc. and this has come has the silver lining for the ailing telecom sector. As per data released by the TRAI, average data consumption per subscriber per month has touched 12.1 GB in the April to June quarter. This is not just an all-time high but beats the previous consumption high by approximately 2 GB.

A report by CARE Ratings analysed these figures. The average data consumption estimated to have touched an all-time high in Q1FY21. The reports outline that several factors have been at play which has led to this increase in data consumption.

"During the first 3 quarters of FY20, the average data usage per subscriber per month surged by 50.6 percent to 10.2 GB on a year on year basis. This was backed by a lower price per GB data which on average declined by a sharp 30.9 percent to Rs.7.7 during April-December 2019. Also, an increase in the use of online streaming platforms by subscribers is believed to have supported the growth in data usage. The average data consumption per subscriber per month is believed to have stood at 10.9 GB in the March 2020 quarter. The low-priced service and increased use of online applications have added more subscribers to the broadband base as shown in the table below. Thus the broadband subscribers’ base as on May 2020 is higher by 17.6 percent," reads the report.