A survey suggests that 2 out 3 Indians are facing digital payment issues due to poor network connectivity

• Two out of three Indians face issues while making digital payments due to poor network connectivity.
• Overall, 9 out of 10 users in India have reported network connectivity issues.
• However, on the whole, average internet usage in India has increased more than 10 times to 14.1GB, from 1.24GB.

We have all been victims of digital payment issues at some point, from UPI apps constantly loading to waiting for the merchant details to show up – that momentary anxiety about a payment failure has been an issue for many of us.

Now, a survey has put this into numbers. According to LocalCircles, two out of three Indian consumers using digital payments have disrupted transactions each month due to poor 3G and 4G connectivity. This is despite over 98% of India having 4G coverage.

Our dependence on the internet has increased, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers rely more on digital payment. Despite the surge, the survey has found that nine out of ten mobile phone users in India complained about poor connectivity.

Also read: Vodafone Idea wants to triple the money it makes from its users, but it will take more than hope and prayers to achieve it

Poor network connectivity amidst a 10 times surge in data usage
According to the survey, nearly half of 8,210 consumers mentioned that they face frequent disruptions to their mobile services due to poor network availability and low data speeds.

The survey also states that lags online transactions have forced them to rely on alternate payment methods such as cash or credit and debit cards.

By the end of 2021, the Indian internet user base has crossed the 830 million mark. In 2021-22 alone, the data usage has surged 7 times, according to the Economic Survey of India. Further, the report also says that the average internet usage has increased from 1.24GB per month in 2018 to 14.1GB per month in 2021.

Telecom operators such as Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea have increased tariffs for both prepaid and postpaid users. Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea had increased their tariffs back in 2021 by 20-25%. Also, telecom operators could further increase tariffs by 20-25% by the end of this year.

The survey by LocalCircles highlights a massive gap in telecom services and the need for investment in infrastructure to boost telecom services.

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