Why You Don't Need Unlimited Data Plans

Choose a basic internet plan, and in case you exceed the data cap as per plan, upgrade it in the next cycle.

According to a report by McKinsey Global Institute, India with 560 million internet subscribers in 2018, is the second-largest and one of the fastest-growing markets for digital consumers. The exponential growth of the user base in the country is driven by the availability of cheaper smartphones and affordable high-speed internet plans by service providers. As the number of users are increasing, the country is also observing an increase in the average data consumption per user.

India’s Data Consumption Pattern

The data published by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for September 2018 shows that consumption per unique subscriber reached 8,320 MB - increasing about four times in the period between 2017-2018. The usage also increased more than 92% since 2014 which is an evidence of the country’s readiness to adopt the digital revolution. Also, the Ericsson Mobility Report, June 2019 shows that by the end of 2018, India had the highest average monthly usage reaching 9.8 gigabytes (GB).

Another report shows that an Indian user spends about 17 hours per week on average on social media platforms which are much more as compared to the users in the United States and China. No wonder, India’s mobile data consumption is reportedly being projected to breach 17.5 GB in 2022 from 3.5 gigabytes (GB) in 2017. Fueled by the availability of richer video content, social media dependence, business implications and innovation in communication, the consumption is said to double by 2024. The surge in consumption can be attributed to an increase in the number of LTE users, millennials' inclination towards video content and attractive internet and home Wi-Fi plans.

Most of the internet service providers and network companies cater to the huge potential that internet users in India offer. However, the need for broadband with high data limit by an average internet user has emerged as a topic for debate.##BlogVASBanner##

Do You Really Need Limitless Data?

We already saw statistics related to average data consumption per day, now let's get to the point. Do you really need limitless data? Well, an intuitive answer might be yes, given the general perception that more is always good. But the answer turns out to be no if you practically analyze your usage and need on a day-to-day basis.

You might be tempted by the best broadband plan offering limitless data, but as discussed above in many cases you would not need more than 10 GB monthly data on an average. This does not completely rule out the need for an uncapped data plan, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to it. You might be among some of the outliers who require superfast speeds and excess data for various online activities. What we are suggesting here is to analyze and then choose a plan that best suits you. For this, the first step is to start tracking your consumption pattern over a week. There are several apps which can help you track your data usage. Initially, choose a basic internet plan, and in case you exceed the data cap as per plan, upgrade it in the next cycle.

If you usually go online for browsing through social media apps, checking emails, watching small video clips, you fall under the low data user category. Internet plans with unlimited data are a strict no-no for you as it would do nothing except burning a hole in the pocket. You can probably get a home broadband plan which will suffice your occasional heavy data consumption.

We, at ACT Fibernet, offer higher data limit and good FUP limit for users who need a larger volume of data for streaming long-form video content, HD movies, and online gaming. We even have a Netflix subscription plan, especially designed for users who consume digital content. It’s a great way to stay tension-free throughout the month and enjoy your internet plan to the fullest.

Always ensure to pick the broadband plan that suits your needs. It might be a good idea to start with a basic plan, and then see if you want to upgrade to a plan with higher speed and data instead.