NEW DELHI: Smartphone users in India spend 47pct of their time on communication applications such as WhatsApp, We Chat, Hike and Skype which are key driver of mobile broadband usage, says a report.

"Communication continues to be the dominant activity on smartphones. Communication apps are 'always on' and are a key driver of mobile broadband usage," the report by Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson said.

"As per our report, Indians spend 47pct of time using communications apps such as voice, instant messaging, voice over internet protocol (example Skype), emails and social networking on smartphones," Ericsson said.

The report said communication apps have a higher dependency on mobile broadband usage, due to their 'always on' status.

The report analysed app usage behaviour using on-device measurements across several markets, including India, with a particular focus on how messaging and social media apps influence the way people communicate.

The research sample represents Android smartphone users in India, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and the US. In India, 7,500 Android users were surveyed.

The report said across the US, the UK and India, more than 30pct of the time spent on smartphones is spent on communicating apps.

"We found that 40-50pct of data consumption for communication apps uses mobile broadband, whereas the corresponding figure for video is just 20pct," Ericsson ConsumerLab Senior Advisor Swetleena Swain said.

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