'Infrastructure for information and communication technologies-enabled services, need of the hour'

The level of penetration of internet usage in India is indicating not only a huge gap, but also a significant potential for future growth as well, says the President.

The Dollar Business Bureau ICT The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, on Friday, pitched on the need for improving infrastructure facilities in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)-enabled services across the country. Stating that Wi-Fi services could be rolled out in public places across the country, both in urban and rural India, the President called upon the concerned authorities to ensure availability of infrastructure for Internet and ICT-enabled services across the country and use it in a systematic manner. The President was speaking after the inauguration of 24 Hot Spots with 30 Wi-Fi access points in the President’s Estate on Friday. Speaking further, the President informed that India stands at 89th position in Network Readiness Index and countries like Singapore, Finland and Sweden are leaders in this index. India, with 244 million, ranks third after China and the United States of America in terms of number of internet users, the President informed further. However, the level of penetration of internet usage as a percentage of the population is only twenty and this is indicating not only a huge gap, but also a significant potential for future growth as well, he added. Speaking on the range of revolution in mobile phones usage in India, the President informed that India, with 960 million mobile phones under usage, India stands at second position in the world behind China and the number, in case of India, is soon expected to become one billion. We have more than 77 mobile phone connections per 100 citizens, which is commendable in terms of the penetration achieved by us in mobile telephony, he noted further. Stating further that the government has started many initiatives towards development by making substantial investments for a socio-economic development, the President said all these efforts will go futile in absence of effective communication strategy. In this context, the idea of bringing information to the doorsteps of citizens through network is a revolutionary step to transform India to a Digital India, noted the President.