Mobile users form 89 percent of total Internet subscriber base in Q2 2013: TRAI:

Driven by growth in Internet usage through mobile phones, total Internet subscriber base in the country increased by 20.38 percent to reach 198.39 million during the April-June quarter.

"Total number of Internet subscribers including Internet access by mobile device subscribers increased from 164.81 million at the end of March'13 to 198.39 million at the end of June'13, registering a quarterly growth of 20.37 percent," TRAI said in its latest performance indicator report.

The total telecom subscriber base at the end of the quarter was 903.09 million, out of which 873.36 million were mobile subscribers.

Internet usage through mobile phones dominated the total subscriber base with about 89 percent share.

Total number of subscribers who accessed Internet via mobile devices stood at 176.5 million during the quarter ended June 2013.

Telecom major Bharti Airtel led Internet access through mobile phones with 26.16 percent market share, followed by Vodafone - 23.34 percent. Idea Cellular's share was 18.94 percent and Reliance Communications had 16.25 percent market share during the reported quarter.

Shares of rest of the players in mobile segment stood in single digit.

The number of Internet subscribers, excluding mobile Internet users, increased from 21.61 million at the end of March to 21.89 million at the end of June, up 1.3 percent.

Broadband subscribers, excluding mobile devices, grew by 0.98 percent to 15.2 million at the end of June.

Smartphones Have Potential to Bridge Digital Divide in Sub-Saharan Africa:

Ericsson has released its first regional consumer insight report focusing on trends and analysis of the mobile ecosystem in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The report highlights how mobile phones create and promote connectivity in Sub-Saharan Africa from the consumer perspective, covering topics regarding smartphones, the internet, financial services, and applications.

The mobile phone, more specifically the smartphone, has the potential to bridge the digital divide by providing universal access and connectivity to a wider scope of citizens, regardless of location or economic status.

Though basic and feature phones still dominate the market, the research estimated that the smartphone will be key to enabling internet usage and an essential device in connecting personal and professional lives, as well as society at large. However, growth in the uptake of smartphones, which are presently seen as expensive, is expected to significantly increase, particularly with the anticipated introduction of a smartphone in the USD 50 price range.

While talking about the report, Shiletsi Makhofane, Head of Marketing, Strategy, Government and Industry Relations, Ericsson Sub-Saharan Africa said "Our analysis shows that the entry of low-cost smartphone handsets in the market will allow people from different social classes to benefit from an integrated ecosystem. The smartphone will become key to accessing the internet, which we believe will change the regional status quo and enable a level of connectivity not seen before. Add to this the on-going installation of submarine cables and country/city fiber-optic networks across the continent, and we'll see a significant increase in the potential for connectivity and supporting infrastructure for greater data consumption."