The ICTpost report titled, Digital Inclusion in Rural India estimates that by December 2021, there will be 35 percent Internet users in rural India. There were 29.83 rural internet subscribers per 100 population in the country till March 2020. An active internet user is one who has accessed internet at least once in the last one month.
Bihar (23), Uttar Pradesh (22), Jammu & Kashmir (17), Madhya Pradesh (25), and West Bengal (25) are the states that have the least number of internet subscribers per 100 persons. Several challenges are faced in the rollout of broadband networks in rural areas. These arise due to a comparatively lower level of infrastructure available in rural areas than in urban areas, low population density, and the consequent lack of a viable business case.
Although we are witnessing a steady growth, the penetration of 31% among the total rural population is still very low considering the huge rural population of 895 million, said the report.
According to the report, only 27% of the active internet users transact online. With a very low awareness level, Online transaction is still in its infancy and there is a pressing need to educate and inform the user of the benefits of the internet services to drive the growth of internet usage.
Mobile usage and hence, mobile internet usage has seen huge jump from the 2019 penetration levels. India’s digital journey is one of exuberance. The country had the world’s second-largest internet population at over 576 million users in 2020, said the report.
The report also finds that nearly 48% of the internet users prefer to access Internet only in Local languages. With more content becoming available in the local languages, more users will start using the internet, states the report. editor@ictpost.com
