Date: Wed, 3 May 1995 00:03:58 EDT
Sender: Internationally-Oriented Computer-Assisted Reporting List <INTCAR-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU>
Subject: Re: India's VSNL to offer Internet access for $16

How many people are currently on-line in India?

By Rishab Aiyer Ghosh, 3 May, 1995

Pierre Bourque writes:

Any idea as to how many people are currently on-line in India ?

Vague stats: several hundred institutes are connected to ERNET, possibly 30 to 50 thousand people. NICNET, a government network, connects all districts in the country, perhaps another 10,000 people. BBSes, (many linked to FidoNet) have a similar number. Sprint and other mail-only services which, apart from BBSes are the only nets for public access have about 15,000 subscribers.

Then there are the various software export companies, many located in special 'export processing zones' with high speed links to the Net and their clients abroad.

And how many can be expected to join in the next 6 months based on the news mentioned in your report ?

If it actually happens, at those prices, there could be tens of thousands. It depends, AFAICS, on VSNL's capacity to provide service, and as I wrote they don't have much previous experience with networking. OTOH they carry all India's international telephone traffic.

Rishab Aiyer Ghosh
rishab@arbornet.org Vox +91 11 6853410
Voxmail 3760335
H 34C Saket, New Delhi 110017, INDIA

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