The Prime Minister’s ambitious scheme of Digital India cannot succeed unless Internet connectivity is provided for not only all over India but also at cheaper rates and at very high speed. As per reports, the Prime Minister’s office surfs the net at 34 Megabits per second (Mbps) on average, the rest of the country is not so lucky. Most Indians have to make do with a fraction of that speed. The net speed of MTNL is slow unless one opts for higher tariff. The minimum speed of 2 mbps must be provided under all schemes as the Internet is a necessity.
Only a small percentage of the Indian population uses the net, with the metros being a possible exception. Even in big urban agglomerations, there is very low penetration because people cannot afford net rentals. In schools and colleges, especially in small towns and villages, free connectivity is vital.
Public sector enterprises such as MTNL and BSNL must provide connections, hassle-free service at nominal charges and at the highest download speed. Even private net service providers must reduce their costs to make it reachable to the common man. They should remember the economic principle that larger volume results in more profits as fixed cost remains the same.
Mahesh Kumar, New Delhi
