
Internet Population Passes 1 Billion, India still only at 2.8% - rockstar9
http://www.sproutly.com/2009/01/25/internet-population-passes-1-billion/
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jsteele
When "85.7% of the population [of India] was living on less than $2.50 (PPP) a
day in 2005" is it really that surprising that they are only at 2.8%
penetration?

Many people in India are just trying to make enough to eat and survive. You
think they care about using the internet?

Source:
[http://econ.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64165...](http://econ.worldbank.org/external/default/main?pagePK=64165259&piPK=64165421&theSitePK=469372&menuPK=64166093&entityID=000158349_20080826113239)

I guess I'm just trying to point out that the 2.8% really isn't that bad when
you consider how many people are living below the poverty line.

Once internet access via cellphone becomes affordable to the masses like voice
is, expect this number to explode.

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FraaJad
Wired connections in India is expensive. I was paying Rs.900/- for a 256kbps
connection over POTS from BSNL (govt owned Ma-bell size company etc.,) which
is equal to $20 in US dollars. If you adjust to the PPP of 10:1, you can see
how expensive it can get.

Also, people think of having computer at home mostly for the kids, if they can
afford it.

There is not enough Indian specific content on the web. Most of "Indian" stuff
is exclusively in English with local language media websites and blogs coming
in at a very distant second. There is a distinct snobbery about not using
their native tongues by english educated, city bred citizens when on the Net.

However, mobile is another ball-game. Mobile phones are ubiquitous across the
nation, finding their way into the hands of even someone earning as little as
Rs.5000/- a month (~$110). Many recent mobile phones do have native language
interfaces and keyboard support and seem to be a hit in non-metro areas.

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medearis
You are missing a critical caveat about these statistics:

"*Excludes traffic from public computers such as Internet cafes or access from
mobile phones or PDAs."

In countries like China and India, PDA's and smart phones are the only
computing device in the home for a large segment of the population. My guess
is that the percentage on the internet is much higher when this is taken into
account. As emerging economies like China and India build a larger middle
class with more disposable income, more people will buy "traditional"
computers and possibly wired internet as well. Though, I also wouldn't be
surprised if the majority of China's internet remains via wireless -- from
what I've seen, China may actually have a better wireless infrastructure than
the U.S.

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seshagiric
2% of India is the same as ~60% in France. A % is not really a good idea here,
though you are comparing what % of a nation's populace can get onto the net.

~~~
andreyf
_A % is not really a good idea here_

60% of France online means that the French online presence can grow to ~167%
of what it is. 2% of India online means Indian presence on the internet can
grow to ~5000%. That's a big difference.

So it really depends what you are looking for... and he has the raw numbers,
also... As a matter of fact, I think he implied that he _added_ the percentage
column precisely to see how much room for growth there is.

