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Airtel* India has reported total 16.94 million 3G Mobile Internet connections for the quarter ended December 31st, 2014, registering a 9.7% increase from 15.5 million 3G connections in the previous quarter and almost doubling from 9.48 million 3G Mobile Internet connections in the same quarter last year.

The total mobile Internet base however saw a 5.48% increase quarter on quarter to 42.25 million connections, from 40.1 million connections in the previous quarter. Year on year, the Mobile Internet connection base declined %22.4 from 54.42 million, but that is because Airtel weeded out incidental users a few quarters ago. Incidental data users are users who have consumed less than 1 MB/month. This followed a similar move from Idea Cellular in Q3-FY14 and following Airtel, even Reliance Communications started culling incidental mobile Internet users.

The company’s Mobile Internet base accounted for 19.45% of the Airtel’s total India connection base for the quarter, up slightly from 18.9% in the previous quarter. The 3G Mobile Internet base accounts for 7.8% of total for Airtel.

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Mobile Internet revenues for Airtel in India, grew by 74.3% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 2114 crore for the quarter. Sequentially, the revenues grew 17.1% from Rs 1805 crore. The segment accounted for 16.2% of its total India revenues for the quarter, as compared to 14.5% in the previous quarter and 10.3% in the same quarter last year.

No 4G data: The company hasn’t disclosed any updated data on how its 4G service is performing. Few quarters ago, Airtel had claimed that its 4G connection base had crossed the 100,000 mark in the country. Following this, the telco had also launched 4G for smartphones in February this year, although the service is limited to recent iPhone models like iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.

Airtel had also mentioned earlier that it is looking to use the 1800MHz spectrum it acquired in the February 2014 2G auctions, to roll out high speed 4G networks using FD-LTE technology in the 1800 MHz band for a pan-India 4G rollout.

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Mobile Internet related numbers

The growth in Mobile Internet users, consumption and revenues from Airtel means that it is difficult for Airtel to explain the violation of Net Neutrality, when it had indicted plans to raise prices for VoIP towards the end of the quarter, only to pull back after criticism.
– Total Mobile Internet connections increased by 5.4% QoQ to 42.25 million and decreased by 22.4% YoY from 54.42 million. The year on year decline is not indicative of actual users because Airtel removed incidental users in Q4-FY14.
– 2G Mobile Internet connections increased by 2.6% QoQ to 25.31 million and decreased by 43.7% YoY from 44.94 million. The year on year decline is not indicative of actual users because Airtel removed incidental users in Q4-FY14.
– Total connection base increased by 2.6% QoQ to 217.22 million and increased by 9.4% YoY from 198.51 million
– Non Voice service revenue increased by 11.3% QoQ to 0.23 million and increased by 38.1% YoY from 0.16 million
– Total Mobile Internet volume increased by 14.2% QoQ to 77.28 billion MB and increased by 98.4% YoY from 38.96 billion MB
– Mobile Internet ARPU per data customer increased by 13.3% QoQ to Rs 170 and by 126.9% YoY from Rs 74.92
– Data Realization per MB increased by 2.9% QoQ to Rs 0.27 and decreased by 9.1% YoY from Rs 0.30
– Data Usage per customer increased by 10.5% QoQ to 622.00 MB and increased by 150.2% YoY from 248.59 MB
– 3G Mobile Internet connections increased by 9.7% QoQ to 16.94 million and increased by 78.7% YoY from 9.48 million
Disclosure: Airtel is currently an advertiser with MediaNama

Also read:

– Airtel Reports ARPU Of Rs. 207 For Q211; On 3G, MNP, Africa, Mobile Internet
– Airtel has 39.32 M Mobile Internet connections, 12.53 M 3G after culling incidental users in Q1-FY15
– Updated: Airtel Q3-FY14: Profit of Rs 610 Crore; Mobile Internet Revenues At Rs 1736 Crore Globally
– Airtel’s music service Wynk: Fair usage limits; Violating Google Play Store & Apple App Store policies?
– Airtel pilots Chromecast clone Inferno, powered by Teewe
– Airtel launches Skype clone Airtel Talk for VoIP calls to India; Double standards?
– Airtel & Telangana Govt tie-up to launch public Wi-Fi hotspots in Hyderabad