Deployments of 3G and WiMAX networks will generate a profitable user base over the next 5 year period, before noticeable LTE deployments begin to make an impact in India, according to the latest research by Maravedis and Tonse Telecom.

The recent auctioning of 3G and BWA spectrum will unleash a broadband economic driver thus far evasive to India," said Sridhar Pai, co-author of the report and founder of Tonse Telecom. "The unmet demand for broadband resulting from poor wire-line infrastructure will be met by a combination of 3G and 4G technologies, including WCDMA/ HSPA, 802.16e and TD-LTE, over the next five years."

"The India telecom market will transform from a voice-centric industry to a data-economy" said Adlane Fellah, Research Director at Maravedis. "This transformation will be accompanied by structural changes in the carrier space including a consolidation wave which could strike as early as 2011. Infrastructure opportunity has moved to a new level and will quickly morph into an application-driven era" he added.

"A vibrant device eco-system, a rich native content value-chain, an extensive service distribution network, and high-tenancy passive infrastructure-sharing combined with rock-bottom voice ARPUs and high-spectrum investments have created a heady mix pushing operators to move into the 3G/4G opportunity as their next growth engine" said Pai.

The report also predicts that the accumulated 3G enabled data subscriber base (notebooks, modems and dongles) will reach 40 million by 2015, while the 4G subscriber base including 802.1e and TD-LTE adopters will reach 33 million subscribers in 2015.