Internet in India

2021-05-29T04:16:25Z

2409:4064:2082:CC3B:4251:BDE3:2DB9:4F19: /* Technologies */ Fixed grammar

{{short description|Overview of the internet in India}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
Internet in India began in 1986 and was available only to the educational and research community. It was publicly available from 15 August 1995. As of 2020, there are 718.74 million active [[List of countries by number of Internet users|internet users]] that comprise 54.29% of the population.<ref>{{Citation|title=List of countries by number of Internet users|date=2020-06-19|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_countries_by_number_of_Internet_users&oldid=963349650|work=Wikipedia|language=en|access-date=2020-06-20}}</ref>

As of May 2014, the Internet is delivered to India mainly by 9 different undersea fibres, including [[SEA-ME-WE 3]], [[Bay of Bengal Gateway]] and [[Europe India Gateway]], arriving at 5 different landing points.<ref>[http://sourcedigit.com/3006-internet-india-comes/ "This is From Where and How Internet in India Comes From?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511112910/http://sourcedigit.com/3006-internet-india-comes/ |date=2015-05-11 }}, Source Digit, 12 May 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2015.</ref> India also has one overland internet connection, at the city of [[Agartala]] near the border with Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/agartala/Agartala-becomes-Indias-third-intl-internet-gateway/articleshow/51544682.cms|title=Agartala becomes India's third int'l internet gateway}}</ref>

The Indian Government has embarked on projects such as [[BharatNet]], [[Digital India]], [[Brand India|Made in India]] and [[Startup India]] to further expedite the growth of internet-based ecosystems.

== History ==
The history of internet in [[India]] began with the launch of the [[Educational Research Network]] (ERNET) in 1986.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ramani |first1=Srinivasan |title=The story of how the Internet came to India: An insider's account |url=https://www.news18.com/news/tech/the-story-of-how-the-internet-came-to-india-an-insiders-account-1039533.html |website=News18}}</ref> The network was made available only to educational and research communities.<ref name="News18One">{{cite web|title=20 years of Internet in India: On August 15, 1995 public Internet access was launched in India|url=http://www.news18.com/news/tech/20-years-of-internet-in-india-on-august-15-1995-public-internet-access-was-launched-in-india-1039859.html|website=News18|access-date=29 September 2016|date=15 August 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002144156/http://www.news18.com/news/tech/20-years-of-internet-in-india-on-august-15-1995-public-internet-access-was-launched-in-india-1039859.html|archive-date=2 October 2016}}</ref> ERNET was initiated by the [[Department of Electronics and Accreditation of Computer Classes|Department of Electronics]] (DoE), with funding from the [[Government of India]] and [[United Nations Development Program]] (UNDP), involving eight premier institutions as participating agencies—NCST Bombay, [[Indian Institute of Science]], five [[Indian Institutes of Technology]] (Delhi, Mumbai, Kanpur, Kharagpur and Chennai), and the DoE in New Delhi. ERNET began as a multi protocol network with both the [[TCP/IP]] and the [[OSI model|OSI]]-IP protocol stacks running over the leased-line portion of the backbone. Since 1995, however, almost all traffic is carried over TCP/IP.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.eis.ernet.in/about.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-08-03 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150918212827/http://www.eis.ernet.in/about.html |archive-date=2015-09-18 }} </ref> The first leased line of 9.6 kbit/s was installed in January 1991 between Delhi and [[Mumbai]]. ERNET was allotted [[Classful network|Class B IP address]] 144.16.0.0 by [[Network Information Center|NIC]] (then InterNIC) in 1990. Subsequently, Class C addresses were allotted to ERNET by [[APNIC]]. All [[IITs]], [[IISc Bangalore]], DOE Delhi and NCST Mumbai were connected by 9.6 kbit/s leased line by 1992. In the same year, 64 kbit/s Internet gateway link was commissioned from NCST Mumbai to [[UUNet]] in [[Virginia]], United States.

NICNet was established in 1995 for communications between government institutions. The network was operated by the [[National Informatics Centre]].<ref name="News18One"/>

The first publicly available internet service in India was launched by state-owned [[Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited]] (VSNL) on 15 August 1995.<ref name="Mint1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Industry/R3kgewhIhKscbiELV1sHZM/The-birth-of-the-Internet-in-India.html|title=The birth of the Internet in India|last=Ghosh|first=Shauvik|date=2015-06-29|access-date=2016-09-29|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002083708/http://www.livemint.com/Industry/R3kgewhIhKscbiELV1sHZM/The-birth-of-the-Internet-in-India.html|archive-date=2016-10-02}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Industry/bQkp9arbe4mlaJHQA1xOjO/A-brief-history-of-the-Internet.html|title=A brief history of the Internet|last=Livemint|date=2015-06-30|access-date=2016-09-29|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002151814/http://www.livemint.com/Industry/bQkp9arbe4mlaJHQA1xOjO/A-brief-history-of-the-Internet.html|archive-date=2016-10-02}}</ref> At the time, VSNL had a monopoly over international communications in the country and private enterprise was not permitted in the sector. The internet service, known as the Gateway Internet Access Service (GIAS), provided a speed of 9.6 kbit/s speed and was priced at ₹5,200 for 250 hours for individuals, ₹16,200 for institutional dial-up SLIP/PPP accounts, and higher for leased line services. GIAS was available immediately from Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai. It was made available in [[Pune]] and [[Bangalore]] by the end of 1995, while users from other locations could connect through the [[Department of Telecommunications]]' I-NET, an X.25 network accessed through leased lines or at a concessional [[Dial-up Internet access|dial-up]] rate from almost anywhere. The connection between VSNL and [[MCI Inc.]] in the United States was made with multiple 64kbit/s links.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dxm.org/techonomist/news/vsnlnow.html|title=VSNL starts India's first Internet service today|website=Dxm.org|access-date=27 October 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150901102755/http://dxm.org/techonomist/news/vsnlnow.html|archive-date=1 September 2015}}</ref>

The service was plagued by several hardware and network issues. B.K. Syngal, then chairman and managing director of VSNL, publicly apologized and took responsibility for the issues. Syngal stated that the company had not conducted any survey of the potential demand for the service. The [[modem]]s used by VSNL were of poor quality, and often would make a beeping sound every three minutes and subsequently disconnect. The connections also faced junction issues when users attempted to connect between [[Internet exchange point|internet exchanges]]. VSNL had designed each line to handle 30 customers at a time, which would quickly swell to full capacity. VSNL invested {{Indian Rupee}}20-25 million on the launch. Recalling the launch in 2015, Syngal described the amount as "pathetic".<ref name="Mint1"/>

Despite the issues, VSNL's internet service garnered 10,000 subscribers within the first 6 months of the launch. The company invested {{INR}}100-150 million to re-design the service. The internet service got a boost in popularity after a successful demo at the [[NASSCOM]] meeting at the [[Nehru Centre]] in Mumbai in 1996. VSNL's booth demonstrating the capabilities of the internet received a large number of visitors.<ref name="Mint1"/> However, for the next 10 years the Internet experience in the country remained less attractive with narrow-band connections having speeds less than 56 kbit/s (dial-up).<ref name="Trai-rec"/> To meet the growing demand for internet access, VSNL, in cooperation with the DoT, added new [[Point of presence|points of presence]] (POP) on the Internet. In 1997, new POPs opened in Kanpur, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Patna and Goa. By 1998, the network comprised around 40 POPs.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/focus/foyr98/fo0999/fo0209981.html|title=Focus|last=nicpib4|website=Pib.nic.in|access-date=2016-09-30|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215074132/http://pib.nic.in/focus/foyr98/fo0999/fo0209981.html|archive-date=2017-02-15}}</ref>

[[Integrated Services Digital Network]] (ISDN) access was introduced in 1997.<ref name=":0" />

In 2004, the government formulated its broadband policy which defined [[Broadband Internet access|broadband]] as "an always-on Internet connection with download speed of 256 kbit/s or above."<ref name="Trai-rec">{{cite web|url=http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/Recommendation/Documents/Rcommendation81210.pdf|title=Broadband status in India|publisher=TRAI|page=21|access-date=20 June 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927084149/http://trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/Recommendation/Documents/Rcommendation81210.pdf|archive-date=27 September 2013}}</ref> From 2005 onward, the growth of the broadband sector in the country accelerated, but remained below the growth estimates of the government and related agencies due to resource issues in last-mile access which were predominantly wired-line technologies. This bottleneck was removed in 2010 when the government auctioned [[3G]] spectrum followed by an equally high-profile auction of [[4G]] spectrum that set the scene for a competitive and invigorated wireless broadband market. Today, internet access in India is provided by both public and private companies using a variety of technologies and media including dial-up (PSTN), xDSL, coaxial cable, Ethernet, FTTH, ISDN, HSDPA (3G), WiFi, WiMAX, etc. at a wide range of speeds and costs.<ref name="yourstory.com">{{cite web|url=http://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/news/india-to-have-second-largest-internet-user-base-by-year-end-iamai-622921|title=India Set to Beat US as Second-Largest Internet Market|work=NDTV Gadgets|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141119094643/http://gadgets.ndtv.com/internet/news/india-to-have-second-largest-internet-user-base-by-year-end-iamai-622921|archive-date=2014-11-19}}</ref>

==Technologies==
{{Pie chart
| thumb = left
| caption = Wired internet access technologies by usage share (December 2018).<ref name="TRAIpir"/>
| other =
| label1 =[[DSL]]
| value1 =56.56
| color1 =green
| label2 =[[Dial up]]
| value2 =15.97
| color2 =red
| label3 =[[Ethernet]]/[[LAN]]
| value3 =14.90
| color3 =orange
| label4 =[[Cable modem]]
| value4 =6.35
| color4 =sienna
| label5 =[[Fiber to the x|Fibre]]
| value5 =5.65
| color5 =blue
| label6 =[[Leased line]]
| value6 =00.56
| color6 =fuchsia
}}
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Wireless internet access technologies by usage share (December 2018).<ref name="TRAIpir"/>
| other =
| label1 =[[LTE (telecommunication)|LTE]]
| value1 =74.83
| color1 =green
| label2 =[[GPRS]]/[[EDGE]]
| value2 =12.97
| color2 =red
| label3 =[[High Speed Packet Access|HSPA]]/[[WCDMA]]
| value3 =12.12
| color3 =orange
| label4 =[[Wi-Fi]]
| value4 =00.07
| color4 =blue
| label5 =[[Radio]]/[[WiMAX]]/[[VSAT]]
| value5 =00.01
| color5 =fuchsia
}}
===Wireless internet===
The following frequencies are used to provide wireless internet services in India:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gsmarena.com/network-bands.php3?sCountry=INDIA|title=Mobile networks - GSM and 3G coverage|work=gsmarena.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130731015243/http://www.gsmarena.com/network-bands.php3?sCountry=INDIA|archive-date=2013-07-31}}</ref>
* [[2G]] : GSM 900 MHz, GSM 1800 MHz
* [[3G]] : [[WCDMA]] [[UMTS]] 2100 MHz, 900 MHz
* [[4G]] : [[Time-Division Long-Term Evolution|TD-LTE]] 2300 MHz, 2500 MHz, [[LTE (telecommunication)|FD-LTE]] 2100 MHz, 1800 MHz, 900 MHz, 850 MHz
* CDMA : 800 MHz (for 1x voice and data & EVDO Rev A, Rev B, Rev B Phase II data)

===Wired internet===
Fixed-line or wired internet technologies used in India include [[digital subscriber line]], (DSL), [[Dial-up Internet access]], [[ethernet]] and [[local area network]] (LAN), [[Cable modem]], [[Fiber to the x|fibre to the home]], and [[leased line]].<ref name="TRAIpir"/>

== Internet speed ==
The first commercially launched internet service in India offered dial-up speeds of up to 9.6 kbit/s in 1995. With the advent of better modems, the network speed was increased to 14.4. kbit/s, followed by 28.8 and 33.4 kbit/s accesses by 1998. Dial-up was later upgraded to provide speeds up to 56 kbit/s on analog lines.<ref name=":0" /> In 2004, the government formulated its broadband policy which defined broadband as "an always-on Internet connection with download speed of 256 kbit/s or above."<ref name="Trai-rec" /> The definition was amended in July 2013 defining broadband as a "data connection that supports interactive services, including internet access, capable of a minimum download speed of 256 kbps to an individual subscriber."<ref>{{cite web|title=TRAI directs operators to ensure minimum 512Kbps speed for broadband subscribers, asks operators to SMS customers about usage limits: Report|url=https://telecomtalk.info/trai-512kbps-speed-for-broadband-subscribers-asks-operators-to-sms-customers-about-usage-limits/158416/|website=Telecom Talk|access-date=1 November 2016|date=1 November 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103215449/https://telecomtalk.info/trai-512kbps-speed-for-broadband-subscribers-asks-operators-to-sms-customers-about-usage-limits/158416/|archive-date=3 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/fixed-broadband-consumers-to-get-minimum-512-kbps-speed/articleshow/55158477.cms|title=Fixed broadband consumers to get minimum 512 kbps speed|newspaper=The Economic Times|access-date=2016-11-01|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161104033107/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/fixed-broadband-consumers-to-get-minimum-512-kbps-speed/articleshow/55158477.cms|archive-date=2016-11-04}}</ref> The minimum download speed was officially raised from 256 kbit/s to 512 kbit/s in August 2014.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gadgetsnow.com/tech-news/Minimum-broadband-speed-set-to-jump-4-times/articleshow/53779179.cms|title=Minimum broadband speed set to jump 4 times {{!}} Gadgets Now|website=Gadget Now|access-date=2016-11-01|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161026211818/http://www.gadgetsnow.com/tech-news/Minimum-broadband-speed-set-to-jump-4-times/articleshow/53779179.cms|archive-date=2016-10-26|date=2016-08-19}}</ref>

On 31 October 2016, TRAI issued a directive to all fixed broadband ISPs ordering them to ensure that the minimum download speed of a connection would not drop below 512 kbit/s even after a subscriber had used up their assigned data limits. TRAI also ordered all ISPs to notify their subscribers through SMS or email when the subscriber had consumed 50%, 90% and 100% of their assigned data limit. All TSPs are also required to maintain a portal or website where subscribers can view their usage pattern at any time.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.livemint.com/Industry/mgocmE1IJUUueNggUWD2NK/Inform-broadband-users-of-data-usage-limit-speed-Trai-tell.html|title=Inform broadband users of data usage limit, speed, Trai tells telcos|last=PTI|date=2016-10-31|newspaper=Mint|access-date=2016-11-01|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101120027/http://www.livemint.com/Industry/mgocmE1IJUUueNggUWD2NK/Inform-broadband-users-of-data-usage-limit-speed-Trai-tell.html|archive-date=2016-11-01}}</ref>

In January 2019, ''[[Daily News and Analysis]]'' reported that DoT officials planned to raise the minimum broadband speed to 2 mbps initially and then to 5 mbps, as part of its new "Broadband for All" policy.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Taneja |first1=Mansi |title=Minimum broadband speed to be raised to 2 Mbps |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-minimum-broadband-speed-to-be-raised-to-2-mbps-2705010 |website=DNA India |access-date=29 July 2019 |language=en |date=7 January 2019}}</ref> Connection speeds from 40 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s provided through optical fibre are now common in cities of India.

The worldwide broadband speed league 2019 ranked India 74 out of 207 countries with a mean download speed of 8.66 Mbit/s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Worldwide Broadband Speed League 2019|url=https://www.cable.co.uk/broadband/speed/worldwide-speed-league/|access-date=5 November 2019|website=Cable|language=en}}</ref> According to the [[Akamai]] Q1 2017 State of the Internet Report, the average internet connection speed in India is 6.5 Mbit/s and the average peak connection speed is 41.4 Mbit/s. Globally, India was ranked 89th out of 149 countries/regions by average internet connection speed and 97th by average peak connection speed. 42% of internet users in India have an average internet connection speed of above 4 Mbit/s, 19% have a speed of over 10 Mbit/s, and 10% enjoy speeds over 15 Mbit/s. The average internet connection speed on mobile networks in India was 4.9 Mbit/s.<ref>{{cite web|title=Q1 2017 State of the Internet Report|url=https://www.akamai.com/us/en/multimedia/documents/state-of-the-internet/q1-2017-state-of-the-internet-connectivity-report.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170606184800/https://www.akamai.com/us/en/multimedia/documents/state-of-the-internet/q1-2017-state-of-the-internet-connectivity-report.pdf|archive-date=6 June 2017|access-date=5 June 2017|publisher=Akamai}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=State of the Internet Connectivity Visualization|url=https://www.akamai.com/us/en/our-thinking/state-of-the-internet-report/state-of-the-internet-connectivity-visualization.jsp|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161005124541/https://www.akamai.com/us/en/our-thinking/state-of-the-internet-report/state-of-the-internet-connectivity-visualization.jsp|archive-date=5 October 2016|access-date=4 October 2016|website=Akamai}}</ref>

According to the March 2021 Speedtest Global Index, published by [[Speedtest.net]], India was ranked 66th out of 177 countries by average fixed broadband speed and 86th out of 140 countries by average mobile internet speed. The average fixed broadband download speed in India is 56.10 Mbit/s and the average fixed broadband upload speed is 53.68 Mbit/s. Speedtest recorded the average download speed on mobile connections in India as 12.15 Mbit/s and average upload speed of 4.80 Mbit/s.<ref>{{cite web|title=India's Mobile and Broadband Internet Speeds - Speedtest Global Index|url=http://www.speedtest.net/global-index/india|access-date=9 May 2021|website=Speedtest Global Index|language=en}}</ref>

== Internet user base ==
India has the [[List of countries by number of Internet users|second highest number of internet users]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.internetworldstats.com/top20.htm|title=Internet Top 20 Countries - Internet Users 2019|website=www.internetworldstats.com|access-date=2019-08-28}}</ref> The following table provides an overview of key internet subscriber statistics in India as on 31 December 2020.<ref name="TRAIpir">{{cite web|title=The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators|url=https://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/QPIR_27042021_0.pdf|website=TRAI|access-date=9 May 2021}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
!Statistic
!Figures
|-
|Total subscribers
|795.18 million
|-
|Narrowband subscribers
|47.77 million
|-
|Broadband subscribers
|747.41 million
|-
|Wired subscribers
|25.54 million
|-
|Wireless subscribers
|769.64 million
|-
|Urban subscribers
|487.01 million
|-
|Rural subscribers
|308.17 million
|-
|Overall net penetration
|58.51 %
|-
|Urban net penetration
|103.98 %
|-
|Rural net penetration
|34.60 %
|}

The [[World Economic Forum]] (WEF) estimated that about 60% of Indian internet users viewed vernacular content and only about a quarter of internet users were over the age of 35 years in 2019. The WEF also estimated that 1.1 billion Indians would have access to the internet by 2030, with 80% of the subscriber base primarily accessing the internet on mobile devices. The profile of India's internet user base was predicted to diversify by 2030 with 80% of users accessing vernacular content and with users over 25 years making up 45% of the total subscriber base.<ref>{{cite web |title=Future of Consumption in Fast-Growth Consumer Markets: INDIA |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_Consumption_Fast-Growth_Consumers_markets_India_report_2019.pdf |website=[[World Economic Forum]] |access-date=4 April 2019}}</ref>

Access to the Internet can be divided into dial-up and broadband access. Around the start of the 21st century, most residential access was by dial-up, while access from businesses was usually by higher speed connections. In subsequent years dial-up declined in favour of broadband access. Both types of access generally use a [[modem]], which converts [[digital data]] to [[analog signal|analog]] for transmission over a particular analog network (ex. the [[telephone]] or [[Cable television|cable]] networks).<ref name="howstuffworks">[http://www.explainthatstuff.com/howbroadbandworks.html "Broadband Internet"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913021130/http://www.explainthatstuff.com//howbroadbandworks.html |date=2011-09-13 }}, Chris Woodford, ''Explain that Stuff'', 20 August 2008. Retrieved on 19 January 2009.</ref>

[[Dial-up]] access is a connection to the Internet through a phone line, creating a semi-permanent link to the Internet.<ref name="howstuffworks" /> Operating on a single channel, it monopolizes the phone line and is the slowest method of accessing the Internet. Dial-up is often the only form of Internet access available in rural areas because it requires no infrastructure other than the already existing telephone network. Dial-up connections typically do not exceed a speed of 56 [[kbit/s]], because they are primarily made via a [[56 kbit/s modem|56k modem]].<ref name="howstuffworks" />

Broadband access includes a wide range of speeds and technologies, all of which provide much faster access to the Internet than dial-up. The term "[[broadband]]" once had a technical meaning, but today it is more often a marketing [[buzzword]] that simply means "faster". Broadband connections are continuous or "always on" connections, without the need to dial and hang-up, and do not monopolize phone lines.<ref name="howstuffworks" /> Common types of broadband access include [[DSL]] (Digital Subscriber Lines), [[Fiber to the x|Fibre to the x]] (Optical fibre network), [[Cable Internet access]], [[Satellite Internet access]], [[mobile broadband]] via cell phones and other mobile devices among many others.<ref>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/01/29/the-fcc-has-set-a-new-faster-definition-for-broadband/ "The FCC has set a new, faster definition for broadband"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216033642/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/01/29/the-fcc-has-set-a-new-faster-definition-for-broadband/ |date=2016-02-16 }}, Brian Fung, ''The Washington Post'', 29 January 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015.</ref>

==Internet service providers==
{{main article|List of internet service providers in India}}
There were 358 [[Internet Service Provider]]s (ISPs) offering broadband and narrowband services in India as on 31 December 2019. The ten largest ISPs account for 99.50% of the total subscriber base. [[Jio]] (51.60%), [[Airtel India|Airtel]] (23.24%), [[Vodafone Idea]] (19.77%), [[BSNL]] (4.21%) and [[Atria Convergence Technologies]] (0.21%) were the five largest ISPs by subscribers in India as on 31 December 2019.<ref name = "TRAIpir"/>

As on 31 December 2019, the five largest wired broadband providers in India are BSNL (51.75%), Airtel (10.80%), Atria Convergence Technologies (6.78%), [[Hathway]] (4.01%) and Jio (3.83%). Other wired ISPs account for the remaining 22.82% of subscribers. The five largest wireless broadband providers are Jio (53.14%), Airtel (23.64%), Vodafone Idea (20.40%) and BSNL (2.68%).<ref name = "TRAIpir"/>

The [[telecom circle]]s of [[Maharashtra]] (40.21 million), [[Andhra Pradesh]] & [[Telangana]] (38.28 million), [[Tamil Nadu]] (35.90 million) [[Gujarat]] (32.16 million) and [[Karnataka]] (31.74 million) have the most broadband subscribers as on 31 September 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://main.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/PIR08012019.pdf|title=The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicators July–September, 2018|publisher=TRAI|date=8 January 2018}}</ref>

The total International Internet bandwidth owned by Indian ISPs was 2,933 Gbit/s as on 30 June 2017.<ref name = "TRAIpir"/> International Bandwidth is the maximum rate of data transmission from a single country to the rest of the world.<ref>{{cite web|title=International Bandwidth Bandwidt|url=https://www.itu.int/ITU-D/finance/work-cost-tariffs/events/tariff-seminars/Maputo-09/pdf/session2-Abosse-Internat_Bandwidth-en.pdf|website=Itu.int|access-date=3 December 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215073515/https://www.itu.int/ITU-D/finance/work-cost-tariffs/events/tariff-seminars/Maputo-09/pdf/session2-Abosse-Internat_Bandwidth-en.pdf|archive-date=15 February 2017}}</ref>

==Net neutrality==
{{Main article|Net neutrality in India}}
{{As of|August 2015}}, there were no laws governing [[net neutrality]] in India, which would require that all Internet users be treated equally, without discriminating or charging differentially by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached equipment, or mode of communication.<ref name="NYT-20150410">{{cite news |author=The Editorial Board |title=Editorial - Global Threats to Net Neutrality |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/10/opinion/global-threats-to-net-neutrality.html |date=10 April 2015 |work=[[New York Times]] |access-date=10 April 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411011236/http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/10/opinion/global-threats-to-net-neutrality.html |archive-date=11 April 2015 }}</ref> There have already been a few violations of net neutrality principles by some Indian service providers.<ref name=NotJust>{{cite news|title=Not just Airtel Zero: Facebook to WhatsApp, everyone has violated Net Neutrality in India|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/social/net-neutrality-debate-its-not-just-limited-to-airtel-zero/|access-date=4 May 2015|work=[[Indian Express]]|date=18 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504060356/http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/social/net-neutrality-debate-its-not-just-limited-to-airtel-zero/|archive-date=4 May 2015}}</ref> The government has once again called in for comments and suggestions regarding net neutrality as of 14 August, and has given the people one day to post their views on the MyGov forum. After this, the final decision regarding the debate was to be made.

The debate on network neutrality in India gathered public attention after [[Airtel]], a [[mobile telephony]] service provider in India, announced in December 2014 additional charges for making voice calls ([[VoIP]]) from its network using apps like [[WhatsApp]], [[Skype]], etc.<ref>{{cite news|title=What Net Neutrality?|url=http://gadgets.ndtv.com/telecom/news/what-net-neutrality-voip-calls-such-as-skype-could-cost-extra-on-airtel-639283|access-date=24 December 2014|work=[[NDTV]]|date=24 December 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224150150/http://gadgets.ndtv.com/telecom/news/what-net-neutrality-voip-calls-such-as-skype-could-cost-extra-on-airtel-639283|archive-date=24 December 2014}}</ref>

In March 2015, [[Telecom Regulatory Authority of India]] (TRAI) released a formal consultation paper on ''Regulatory Framework for Over-the-top (OTT)'' services, seeking comments from the public. The consultation paper was criticised for being one sided and having confusing statements. It received condemnation from various politicians and Indian Internet users.<ref name=Politicos>{{cite news|last1=Singh|first1=Saurabh|title=Politicos slam TRAI's stance on net neutrality|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/politicos-raise-concern-over-trais-threatening-consultation-on-net-neutrality/1/429135.html|access-date=12 April 2015|work=[[India Today]]|date=8 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412222226/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/politicos-raise-concern-over-trais-threatening-consultation-on-net-neutrality/1/429135.html|archive-date=12 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Gandhi|first1=Rajat|title=Net neutrality: Why Internet is in danger of being shackled|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-04-08/news/60943272_1_net-neutrality-telecom-operators-viber|access-date=12 April 2015|work=[[The Economic Times]]|date=8 April 2015}}</ref><ref name=TRAIemails>{{cite news|title=Indians rally for Internet freedom, send over 1 lakh emails to TRAI for net neutrality|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/indians-rally-for-internet-freedom-send-over-1-lakh-emails-to-trai-for-net-neutrality/539553-11.html|access-date=13 April 2015|work=[[IBNLive]]|date=13 April 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415193045/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/indians-rally-for-internet-freedom-send-over-1-lakh-emails-to-trai-for-net-neutrality/539553-11.html|archive-date=15 April 2015}}</ref> The last date for submission of comment was 24 April 2015 and TRAI received over a million emails.<ref name=SiteHacked>{{cite news|title=Trai publishes email IDs of netizens, site hacked|url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150428/business-latest/article/trai-publishes-email-ids-netizens-site-hacked|access-date=4 May 2015|work=[[Deccan Chronicle]]|date=28 April 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211154549/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/150428/business-latest/article/trai-publishes-email-ids-netizens-site-hacked|archive-date=11 February 2016}}</ref>

On 8 February 2016, TRAI took a revolutionary decision, prohibiting telecom service providers from levying discriminatory rates for data,<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url = http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/WhatsNew/Documents/Regulation_Data_Service.pdf|title = Regulation Data Service|date = 8 February 2016|access-date = 9 February 2016|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160209062517/http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/WhatsNew/Documents/Regulation_Data_Service.pdf|archive-date = 9 February 2016}}</ref> thus ruling in favor of Net Neutrality in India. This move was welcomed not just by millions of Indians but also by various political parties, businesspersons, industry leaders
,<ref>{{Cite news|url =http://www.indiatvnews.com/business/india/industry-users-laud-trai-facebook-operators-cry-foul-21103.html|title =Industry welcomes TRAI decision|date =8 February 2016|access-date =9 February 2016|url-status =live|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160209170036/http://www.indiatvnews.com/business/india/industry-users-laud-trai-facebook-operators-cry-foul-21103.html|archive-date =9 February 2016}}</ref> and the inventor of the [[World Wide Web]], [[Tim Berners Lee]].<ref>{{Cite news|url =http://blog.savetheinternet.in/statement-on-trai-order-on-diff-pricing|title =STI Statement on outcome of TRAI consultation on Differential Pricing of Data Services|date =9 February 2016|access-date =9 February 2016|url-status =dead|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160211050552/http://blog.savetheinternet.in/statement-on-trai-order-on-diff-pricing/|archive-date =11 February 2016}}</ref>

==Censorship==
{{main article|Internet censorship in India}}
{{see also|Websites blocked in India}}
[[Internet censorship]] in India is selectively practiced by both federal and state governments. DNS filtering and educating service users in better usage is an active strategy and government policy to regulate and block access to Internet content on a large scale. Measures to remove content at the request of content creators through court orders have become more common in recent years.

[[Freedom House|Freedom House's]] ''Freedom on the Net 2016'' report gives India a Freedom on the Net status of "Partly Free" with a rating of 41 (scale from 0 to 100, lower is better). Its Obstacles to Access was rated 12 (0-25 scale), Limits on Content was rated 9 (0-35 scale) and Violations of User Rights was rated 20 (0-40 scale).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2016/india|title=India - Country Report|work=Freedom House|access-date=3 February 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170203163642/https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-net/2016/india|archive-date=3 February 2017|date=2016-11-10}}</ref> India was ranked 29th out of the 65 countries included in the report.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://freedomhouse.org/report/table-country-scores-fotn-2016|title=Table of Country Scores FOTN 2016|website=Freedomhouse.org|access-date=27 October 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027180912/https://freedomhouse.org/report/table-country-scores-fotn-2016|archive-date=27 October 2017|date=2016-11-04}}</ref>

== Challenges ==
One of the major issues facing the Internet segment in India is the lower average bandwidth of broadband connections compared to that of developed countries. According to 2007 statistics, the average download speed in India hovered at about 40 KB per second (256 [[kbit/s]]), the minimum speed set by TRAI, whereas the international average was 5.6 Mbit/s during the same period. In order to attend this infrastructure issue the government declared 2007 as "the year of broadband".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7098992.stm|title=Broadband speeds around the world|date=2 December 2007|publisher=BBC News|access-date=2 December 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206111858/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7098992.stm|archive-date=6 December 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/india-seeks-access-to-the-broadband-highway-11172011.html|title=India Seeks Access to the Broadband Highway|work=Bloomberg BusinessWeek|access-date=17 November 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120193030/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/india-seeks-access-to-the-broadband-highway-11172011.html|archive-date=20 November 2011}}</ref> To compete with international standards of defining broadband speed the Indian Government has taken the aggressive step of proposing a ₹690 billion national broadband network to connect all cities, towns and villages with a population of more than 500 in two phases targeted for completion by 2012 and 2013. Google and Tata have launched the [[Internet Saathi]] project to help increase digital literacy amongst women in rural areas. The network was supposed to provide speeds up to 10 Mbit/s in 63 metropolitan areas and 4 Mbit/s in an additional 352 cities. Also, the Internet penetration rate in India is medium and accounts for 42% of the population compared to the rate in [[OECD]] counties, where the average is over 50%.<ref name="IWS">{{cite web |url=http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm |title=Internet Usage in Asia |work=International Telecommunications Unit: Asian Internet Users |publisher=ITU |access-date=10 January 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/659jL0Pnr?url=http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm |archive-date=2 February 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.oecd.org/document/54/0,3746,en_2649_34225_38690102_1_1_1_1,00.html|title=OECD Broadband Portal|work=oecd.org|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926171916/http://www.oecd.org/document/54/0,3746,en_2649_34225_38690102_1_1_1_1,00.html|archive-date=2015-09-26}}</ref><ref name="2005annual">{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/money/2009/apr/01india-ranks-115th-in-net-connection-speed.htm|title=India ranks 115th in net connection speed|work=Rediff.com|format=doc|access-date=1 April 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618000053/http://www.rediff.com/money/2009/apr/01india-ranks-115th-in-net-connection-speed.htm|archive-date=18 June 2010}}</ref> Another issue is the [[digital divide]] where growth is biased in favour of urban areas; according to 2010 statistics, more than 75 per cent of the broadband connections in the country are in the top 30 cities.<ref name="Trai-rec"/> Regulators have tried to boost the growth of broadband in rural areas by promoting higher investment in rural infrastructure and establishing subsidised tariffs for rural subscribers under the [[Universal service obligation]] scheme of the Indian government.{{fact|date=August 2019}}

==E-commerce industry==
No. of Indian consumers who purchased something online in 2018: 120 million

No. of Indian consumers who are expected to purchase something online in 2020: 175 million

Indian e-commerce Industry in 2017: ₹2.46 Trillion

== Data centres ==
* BSNL Internet Data Centers, in collaboration with Dimension Data<ref>[http://www.bsnlcloud.com/pages/index.asp BSNL Internet Data Center] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917083730/http://www.bsnlcloud.com/pages/index.asp |date=2013-09-17 }}, website, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. and Dimension Data, retrieved 11 September 2013.</ref>
* Trimax IT Infrastructure & Services Limited - Tier III data centers in Mumbai and Bengaluru <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trimax.in/index.php/services-0/managed-it-services/data-center-service |title=Archived copy |access-date=2014-09-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140925223804/http://www.trimax.in/index.php/services-0/managed-it-services/data-center-service |archive-date=2014-09-25 }}</ref>
* Airlive Broadband
* Web Werks Data Centers
* Sify Technologies Limited
* CtrlS Datacenters Ltd
* Tata Communications Limited
* Netmagic Solutions
* Reliance Datacenter
* Web Werks IDC
* Net4 Datacenter
* RackBank Datacenter
* GPX Global Systems Inc.
* CTRLS Data Center
* MegaHostZone
* Digital Ocean
* DeleteZero
* Amazon Web Services<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/now-open-aws-asia-pacific-mumbai-region/|title=Now Open – AWS Asia Pacific (Mumbai) Region {{!}} AWS Blog|website=Aws.amazon.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-05-22|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170514064907/https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/now-open-aws-asia-pacific-mumbai-region/|archive-date=2017-05-14|date=2016-06-28}}</ref>
*Google Cloud<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://cloudplatform.googleblog.com/2017/10/GCP-arrives-in-India-with-launch-of-Mumbai-region.html|title=GCP arrives in India with launch of Mumbai region|work=Google Cloud Platform Blog|access-date=2018-07-05|language=en}}</ref>

==Internet Exchanges==
*[[NIXI]]
*[[Mumbai Convergence Hub]]
*[[Mumbai IX]]
*[[Amsterdam Internet Exchange|AMS IX]]
*[[DE-CIX]]

==See also==
*[[Internet Freedom Foundation]]
*[[National Optical Fibre Network]]
*[[List of countries by number of Internet users]]
*[[List of countries by number of broadband Internet subscriptions]]
*[[List of countries by Internet connection speeds]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.news18.com/newstopics/20-years-of-internet-in-india.html News18 Series:20 Years of Internet in India]

[[Category:Internet in India| ]]

Bharatpedia - User contributions [en]

Internet in India