Poor Reception for 4G in India
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Airtel and Vodafone are just two of the major telecommunication companies that have introduced 4G services to India. There, however, seems to be a diminished interest in the apparently faster speeds. Despite being on the market for a few months, the 4G technology does not seem to be making waves across India’s mobile users.
This service was introduced to India once the rest of the world had firmly welcomed the technology. Cell companies and cell tower real estate companies such as TowerPoint Capital in the U.S. have already made arrangements to accommodate widespread use. There are several reasons, however, why the interest in India is considerably lower than in the rest of the world:
2G and 3G Loyalty
One of the main reasons that people have failed to adopt 4G is that many subscribers have still not moved on from 2G broadband connections. It is estimated that only between 11 percent and 15 percent of the Indian mobile using population has actually subscribed to the 3G option. It does not seem as though there will be a lot of change in this trend. The GSMA predicts that by 2020, 50 percent of wireless mobile users will still be using 2G as their preferred broadband connection. These statistics do not hold much hope for improving 4G users in the near future.
Cost
India has been known to offer famously low rates to its mobile consumers. This, in part, affects the reluctance for people to join the 4G network. Many telecommunication providers cannot ensure these faster services for the same cost as before. This means that many subscribers are not willing to switch networks if it requires them to incur heavier charges. In charging more, however, these companies still can ensure their consumers that their connectivity will be stable and remain uninterrupted.
Consistent Service
There are subscribers who are also concerned about the future of 4G. The recent complaints against telecommunication companies reveals that not many people have a lot of faith in the capabilities of these corporations. This lack of trust also extends to the connectivity of broadband networks. Subscribers fear that the initial running of 4G networks may be later compromised when other users begin to use them. An influx of users will only slow down the speed, likening it to the speeds of 3G.
Low Demand
Perhaps another important factor to the low performance of 4G in the country is the lack of demand. Many subscribers simply do not feel as though they need 4G speeds, particularly on their phones. This is largely because many users have gotten used to the speeds that they are currently being provided with. They do not necessarily notice the lags in speeds or connection. Thus, there can be limited supply for a service when the demand is not necessarily high to begin with.
The initial lackluster reception of 4G in the country has not slowed down telecommunication companies. There are still quite adamant about creating a widespread use of the broadband connection. Companies such as Oppo are creating large quantities of 4G phones in the hopes of increasing interest in 4G.
Source: http://www.smarttechtoday.com/poor-reception-for-4g-in-india/10942/
