Why Nearly 900 Million Indians Don't Use the Internet

(Baonghean.vn) - India is proud to be a country with many world-leading companies in the field of information technology and many technology entrepreneurs. However, there are nearly 900 million people here who do not use the internet.

More than 75% of Indians do not use the Internet. (Illustration photo)

In 2015, only 22% of adults in India used the internet, according to the Pew Research Center, far behind developing countries like China and Brazil, where internet penetration rates were 65% and 60%, respectively.

The Centre for Communication and Development Studies (CCD) recently conducted a study in Pune, which is considered the technological home of over 3 million Indians, and here are the 4 main reasons:

Infrastructure

India lacks the routers, fiber optic cables and servers needed to scale up traffic. Public Wi-Fi hotspots are few and far between, and fast access is rare in low-income urban areas and rural areas.

“Across India, connectivity is patchy,” said Nilotpal Chakravarti, a spokesman for the Internet and Mobile Association of India. “3G typically operates at 2G speeds.”

Hutokshi - Director of CCD shared that people living in slums often have to walk down hills or go down main roads to be able to use the Internet.

Sex

There is a large gender gap among internet users in India. While 27% of Indian men use the internet, only 17% of women do, according to Pew.

CCD researchers found a range of gender issues related to Internet use in India.

One woman interviewed shared: "People here have stereotypes about women and think that if a girl uses a mobile phone, it is not suitable for Indian culture."

“There is a perception that the internet is bad for women, simply because it leads them astray and into exploitation,” Professor Hutokshi stressed.

Affordability

In India, it is not easy to buy an Internet-connected device when 75% of the population here earns less than 5,000 rupees (equivalent to 74 USD) per month.

Some users may buy older, cheaper smartphones. However, those devices have less memory and data plans that are not enough to listen to music and watch videos.

Awareness

According to a 2015 survey by the Internet and Mobile Association of India, about 20% of urban respondents and 75% of rural residents said they were unaware of the internet and therefore did not use it. And the lack of access to the internet could have a limited impact on education levels in the country, according to Hutokshi.

Thanh Hien

(According to CNN)