Over 52 per cent Indians access the internet: Here are the milestones that got us here
India will have 900 million internet users by 2025, as per a report by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Kantar. Currently, at least 52 per cent (759 million people) access the internet at least once a month. We look at 10 internet milestones of India:
May 4, 2023
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1995- Internet launched in India
The first publicly available internet service in India was launched by state-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) on 15 August 1995. A 9.6 kbps dial-up internet line was priced at a flat annual rate of ₹15,000.
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1996- India’s first cyber cafe launched
India's first cyber cafe was launched in July 1996 at Hotel Leela Kempinski, Mumbai by journalist and politician Pritish Nandy.
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2000- Arrival of cable internet
Cable internet was launched in India in 2000. Sites like Yahoo, MSN and eBay were launched.
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IRCTC website launched
The concept of online ticket booking started where the ticket was booked through IRCTC website and the physical ticket was delivered through courier at the address given by the passenger.
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2005- BSNL launches broadband services
BSNL Broadband launched its services on 14 January 2005. The minimum speed offered to the customer was 256 kbps.
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2009- BSNL launches 3G services
BSNL launched 3G services in 11 cities. Mobile speed was upgraded from 2 mbps from 144 kbps.
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2010- 3G spectrum auctioned
3G spectrum was auctioned by the Government of India. Tata Docomo becomes the first private player to launch 3G services in India.
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2012- Airtel introduces 4G services in Kolkata
Airtel introduced its 4G services in Kolkata on 10th April 2012, the first company to do so. It offered its customers the ability to use 4G via dongles and modems utilising TD-LTE technology.
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2016- TRAI rules in favour of net neutrality
On 8th February 2016, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued a ruling that prohibited telecom service providers from implementing differential pricing for data services.
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2020 - India crosses 500 million internet users
India crosses 500 million daily users, with nearly 70 per cent of active internet users being daily users.
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