Anonymous online access: VPNs gaining ground in India
NEW DELHI (IANS) At a time when security has become the foremost concern in browsing or sharing data online, people in India are progressively turning to virtual private network
Online voices of offline people
Only 36% of news on the Internet is about women in India. Social networking platforms such as Twitter are male-dominated, with men taking up 64% of news space. However, when it comes to online reporters, India outnumbers most countries with 59% women, while neighbouring Bangladesh does not have a single woman involved in reporting news…
How Common Service Centres Are Revolutionising e-Governance in Rural India
Across the country, an increasing number of villagers in rural India are turning to Common Service Centres (CSC) to avoid the long ques characteristic of all government offices. These Common Service Centres work as e-governance delivery centres and were set up in 2006, as a part of the National eGovernance Plan (NeGP). CSCs run on…
Consultation paper on public Wi-Fi hotspots in 10 days: Trai’s Sharma
Telecom regulator Trai or Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is likely to come out with a consultation paper on Wi-Fi hotspots at public places soon with a special focus on how to make business model sustainable. “We are working on a consultation paper on public Wi-Fi which is expected to come out in 10 days,”…
Why Are 4 Billion People without the Internet?
One of the most effective ways to reduce poverty in developing countries is to extend the reach of the Internet. Over the last 20 years, the online world has created millions of jobs and billions of dollars of economic activity. Entire new sectors have emerged, such as e-commerce, social media, and data analytics. In developing…
Substandard facilities, lack of internet access afflict consumer courts: Panel
New Delhi: Consumer courts are in bad shape and need immediate attention, according to an interim report of a Supreme Court appointed committee. The panel headed by retired SC judge Justice Arijit Pasayat, which submitted its report recently to the apex court, has found the consumer forums and commissions at every level are working with…
India’s GDP can rise by $1-tn if everyone gets internet access: Report
Four of five Indians could afford internet if data costs fell by 66%, according to a Facebook-commissioned report on internet access. But Indian telecom operators already run data services at a 11% loss, making cost-cutting difficult. The statistics mean that a data plan, currently priced at Rs 100 should not cost more than Rs 34,…
Re-Imagining Zero Rating: How Should TRAI Juggle Internet Access and Net Neutrality?
On 19 May 2016, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper on free data. This consultation paper comes as a part of a series of consultations which TRAI has been doing since March 2015 around the issue of net neutrality (see here and here). This is an issue which has evoked…
$1 trillion extra GDP by 2020 if all Indians get online
Four of five Indians could afford the internet if data costs fell by 66 percent, according to a Facebook-commissioned report on Internet access. But Indian telecom operators already run data services at a 11 percent loss, making cost-cutting difficult. The statistics mean that a data plan currently priced at Rs.100 should not cost more than…
Google To Connect Millions With Internet in India As Project Loon Trials Kicks Off
Google’s Project Loon is likely to take-off in India after a four days trial in either Andhra Pradesh or Maharashtra. The aim of the company is to provide internet access to remote areas which are void of Internet connectivity. Other countries including Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, United States and Sri Lanka are also conducting trials of…