Tata Communications : Eight out of ten Indian internet users admit to ‘Fear of Missing Out’ (FOMO) when not connected

Tata Communications, a leading provider of A New World of Communications™, today announces the results of its global report, titled 'Connected World II,' which reveals that 82% of surveyed Indians admit to a 'Fear of Missing Out' (FOMO) when not connected to the Internet, the highest percentage globally. Despite the nation's dependence on all things digital, 60% of Indians surveyed equate the Internet with the World Wide Web; showcasing a gap in the actual understanding of the Internet. The report captures responses from 9,417 internet users across six emerging and developed countries - France, Germany, India (2,117), Singapore, the US, and the UK  - to better understand how users engage and connect with the Internet today.

The impact of the Internet on global economies is phenomenal. About 2.5 billion people are connected to the Internet today, that's a third of the world's population. By 2020, the number of connected devices is expected to rise to 26 billion. With so many users checking in online each day, it may come as a surprise that there is still a huge gap in the public's knowledge and understanding of the Internet. Only half of all global respondents accurately identify where the Internet resides (in network connected data centers), while 82% do not know that the fastest mode of internet delivery to their devices is through sub-sea cables. The good news is that surveyed Indians have an edge over their global counterparts when it comes to their understanding of the Internet with around 30% stating that sub-sea cables are the fastest way to deliver the Internet, compared to 18% globally. Moreover, 60% of surveyed Indians identify network connected data centers as the correct source of the Internet, compared to 51% globally.

"The Internet has truly changed the way we function. As technologies evolve and adapt, there is a huge potential for the Internet to affect different aspects of life, economy and society. The use of these technologies will continue to expand in unexpected ways, and organisations will need to continuously explore, adapt and embrace new digital realities to thrive in," says Julie Woods-Moss, Chief Marketing Officer and CEO of Tata Communications' Nextgen Business. "A better understanding of the Internet is likely to improve the appreciation of the Internet and its capabilities leading to new and innovative ways to incorporate digital resources into daily activities."

The study also reveals that Asian respondents appear to be the most 'internet dependent' with less than half of surveyed Singaporeans and Indians capable of lasting up to 12 hours without internet access compared to 86% of German, 77% of French, 75% of US and 70% of UK respondents.

Respondents from Asia and those from the USA and Europe are distinctly different in their vision of the most inspirational opportunity that the Internet will deliver in the future: 32% of surveyed Singaporeans and 27% of surveyed Indians pick smart cities as their preferred choice for what the Internet will enable in the future. Respondents from the UK, France, Germany and the USA, meanwhile, feel that light speed connectivity will be more important.

• The study reveals that in India, not only did 46% of respondents spend 6 hours or more a day actively using the Internet (in comparison to 29% globally), but an alarming 82% of respondents admit to the 'Fear of Missing Out' (FOMO) when not connected (the highest globally)
• Although surveyed Indian men spend more time on the Internet than surveyed Indian women, it is Indian women (21%) who outdo men (16%) in feeling anxious or lost when not connected to the Internet
• More than half of surveyed Indian internet users (56%) admit they can't survive more than five hours without internet connectivity

• Focusing on the technical understanding of the Internet, the study reveals that 48% of surveyed Indians have a realistic view of the Internet reaching its full capacity limitations, compared to Germany (26%), UK (30%), US (28%), France (43%) or Singapore (38%) respondents
• Indian respondents understand that a lot of information resides in the 'cloud' with 69% aware that the 'cloud' resides in data centres
• 61% of Indian respondents believe that 'everyone owns the Internet', compared to 70% globally with 21% rightly pointing out that each individual country owns their internet when compared to 16% globally
• This study further discloses that tablets and smartphones are rapidly replacing television as the preferred screen as nearly twice as many surveyed Indians (43%) are willing to give up television for the Internet, compared to Americans (17%) and Europeans (22%) respondents
• In the report, the Internet's ability to 'connect people globally with incredible speed' is cited by more than three quarters of the Indian respondents as its principle benefit to society, as opposed to 'providing a democratic platform for expression' (10%), 'enabling e-commerce' (4%), 'making shopping easier (3%)' or a 'social equaliser' (5%)

"The survey results also found that 77% of respondents believe the most beneficial impact of the Internet is its ability to connect people globally with incredible speed" says Woods-Moss. "This belief has been the guiding force of our business strategy in the past, and is the essence on which we have built our networks to support the present and the future. The fact that over 24% of the world's internet routes use our network affords us a rare advantage and a perspective that helps connect with our customers globally across emerging markets and developed economies."

As more and more global consumers demand greater flexibility with regards to their digital footprint (connected devices, mobility, access to higher bandwidth speed and capacity), Tata Communications recognises the critical role that the Internet plays in facilitating and controlling seamless access between the IT user and service provider (internal or external). Private and business consumers are looking for that 'just works' internet experience that allows them to seamlessly switch their home technology to the work place and vice versa. Tata Communications is creating an open communications infrastructure ecosystem that makes the Internet Fit for Business, ensuring high quality and predictable internet that delivers a robust digital ecosystem that's equipped for the future and that can cope with customers' demands of intelligence, scalability and reliability.

Tata Communications' global connectivity services are built on the world's largest and most advanced global sub-sea cable network, which enables carriers and enterprises to connect almost anywhere in the world. The cable network boasts significant depth in the key emerging markets including Asia, Middle East and Africa. Over 24% of the world's internet routes use Tata Communications' network.

For those interested in how the Internet actually works, a video can be found [here]. The complete global report can be found [here].

About the survey

Tata Communications conducted an online survey that comprised of 14 closed questions, aimed at capturing behavioural, technical and philosophical responses in relation to people's associations, understanding and emotional connections to the Internet. A total of 9,417 respondents across six countries viz India, Singapore, UK, USA, Germany and France participated in the survey. Out of the total number of respondents surveyed, 50% of them are women and 50% men. 33% of the respondents are from Asia (India and Singapore), 52% from Europe (UK, France and Germany) and 15% from North America with age ranges: 15-25=11%, 25-35=23%, 35-45=22%, 45-55=22%, 55-65=21%. The findings of this survey were then analysed as an aggregate of the responses and further based on age, gender and location to arrive at the insights.