Nielsen also studied CDMA and GSM network performance in 39 key markets, including Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune, Delhi, Kolkatta, Chennai and Bengaluru.  CDMA technology was found to have a distinct edge over GSM across all six of the top data network performance metrics, particularly in HTTP download data rate.  Ahmedabad, the largest city in the state of Gujarat, took top honors in two key categories: average connect success rate and average data rate.  Mumbai was the poorest performing metro area in the first category, while Bengaluru fared worst in the latter category.

“The first phase of our survey found stark variation in data network performance between market leaders and market average, creating opportunities for differentiation in key cities,” said Shankari Panchapakesan, Executive Director of the Telecom Practice Group at Nielsen India.  “Meanwhile, our consumer insights found that overall satisfaction is a function of network coverage. Initiatives such as 3G and mobile number portability will further catalyze market sentiment.  CDMA operators should leverage their inherent network advantage to drive consumer perception of their network.”

But while mobile media use has grown rapidly in recent years, mobile advertising has been slow to take hold, Nielsen Mobile reported in a white paper released Tuesday.

In the U.S., some 76.8 million mobile users recall seeing advertising on their phones, according to Nielsen, but 63% report encountering mobile ads only infrequently — once a month or less.  Meanwhile, less than two-thirds of website homepage page views feature mobile advertising.

Lack of awareness of the size of the U.S. mobile audience, the complexity of the mobile marketing ecosystem, and advertisers’ reluctance to invest in mobile advertising are among the key factors restricting mobile ad growth, Nielsen’s analysts note.

View the full white paper.

Read MediaPost’s coverage of Nielsen’s findings.

Learn more about the outlook for mobile advertising – check out VentureBeat’s Q&A with Nielsen’s Senior Vice President of Mobile Media, Jesse Goranson