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This is great news for India as more people are gaining access to the Internet. However, this is only one side of the story. The ARPU (Average Revenue Per User)

This is great news for India as more people are gaining access to the Internet. However, this is only one side of the story. The ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) in India is around 72 INR which is approximately 1 USD per month. For the US, it is approximately 50 USD per month. This figure makes a big difference as far as the revenue opportunity is concerned. This affects telecom operators a lot more than mobile phone manufacturers. India is also one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It is expected that not only more people will come online but also the per capita income will grow rapidly that will make it more lucrative in the future.

Symbiote 7y ago
Is that $1 or $50 only the user's cost of the service (for calls and data), or does it also include spending on apps, in-app purchases, paying a debt on the phone and so on? If it's just the service, $50 seems very high for an average. The most expensive phone service contract I can find here in Denmark is $45.
- lotsofpulp 7y ago
  Depends what kind of service you want. Best coverage and minimum throttling is $70 to $80 per person (Verizon and ATT). Being on family plans can bring it down to $40 to $50 though. Minimum is $30+ on Sprint or T-Mobile.
  - nicoburns 7y ago
    I guess a lot of it is the difference in population density, but that does seem expensive. In the UK, you can get top-level coverage (O2's network) 80GB 4g with unlimited calls/texts for £20/month (~26USD). I currently pay £10/month for 6GB, which is a lot worse value per GB, but more than covers my needs.
    - 7ewis 7y ago
      Pretty easy to get cheaper deals too when you've been a customer for a few years. I pay £5/m for unlimited data, 600mins, unlimited texts on Three. I know I've been super lucky with that deal in particular.
      - lotsofpulp 7y ago
        I suspect in the US, how much you pay (or who you are) determines your priority on a congested tower.
PopeDotNinja 7y ago
Keep in mind the USA is huge and much less densely populated than India. Think of India as 4x the population of the USA in 25% the space. You need much less physical infrastructure to serve the population in India.

Symbiote 7y ago

Is that $1 or $50 only the user's cost of the service (for calls and data), or does it also include spending on apps, in-app purchases, paying a debt on the phone and so on? If it's just the service, $50 seems very high for an average. The most expensive phone service contract I can find here in Denmark is $45.

lotsofpulp 7y ago
Depends what kind of service you want. Best coverage and minimum throttling is $70 to $80 per person (Verizon and ATT). Being on family plans can bring it down to $40 to $50 though. Minimum is $30+ on Sprint or T-Mobile.
- nicoburns 7y ago
  I guess a lot of it is the difference in population density, but that does seem expensive. In the UK, you can get top-level coverage (O2's network) 80GB 4g with unlimited calls/texts for £20/month (~26USD). I currently pay £10/month for 6GB, which is a lot worse value per GB, but more than covers my needs.
  - 7ewis 7y ago
    Pretty easy to get cheaper deals too when you've been a customer for a few years. I pay £5/m for unlimited data, 600mins, unlimited texts on Three. I know I've been super lucky with that deal in particular.
    - lotsofpulp 7y ago
      I suspect in the US, how much you pay (or who you are) determines your priority on a congested tower.

PopeDotNinja 7y ago

Keep in mind the USA is huge and much less densely populated than India. Think of India as 4x the population of the USA in 25% the space. You need much less physical infrastructure to serve the population in India.