With 137 million internet users, India, on paper, is second only to China’s 564 million in terms of the user base. In reality, we are miserably placed when it comes to meaningful internet access. For instance, the average broadband speed in India is a measly 1.2 Mbps, the lowest among 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region and just over 40 percent of the global average.
Only 2.8 percent of our internet population connect at speeds of 4 Mbps or above; 89 percent connect at speeds less than 256 Kbps! India also accounts for just 2 percent of the entire set of nearly 700 million unique IP addresses that Akamai (an internet content delivery network) tracks around the world, compared to China’s 14 percent.
Successive governments, regulators and industry associations have been planning to improve our woeful internet broadband infrastructure, but nothing much has ever come of it. Because fixing broadband connectivity means solving multiple chicken-or-egg problems across the entire delivery chain.
Fixing Each Link in the Internet Chain
(This story appears in the 12 July, 2013 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)
3G and 4G are one thing but when it comes to online video streaming there can be nothing better that a wired connection.i pay 1500 tax for 30GB at 4MBPS and after 30GB the speed is reduced to 512kbps in UK or america i would have gotten a 20mbps unlimited line for the same amount.
on Nov 16, 2013India government salarier are so low and the internet is very expensive ul800 is 512kbps unlimited with 60/KB and cost 800 rs in foregin countries like uk that would be a 16 mbps line with the same price
on Nov 3, 2013Money may not be an issue when it comes to paying for devices. People will gladly spend 10,000 for smart phones if they can get unlimited content at good 3 G speed on their phones. What we need is cheap mobile IPTV which will stream, non stop, Indian movies, news and songs. What happened to cable will happen to mobile. I have little hope on boradband wired Internet in India. Our hopes should be pinned on broadband wireless- 3G and 4G.
on Jul 9, 2013When shifting from 2g to 3g why allow age old 2g As to tease internet subscribers across india by following Slow speed 2g thereby slowing down process and progress Of country
on Jul 5, 2013