According to a recent research survey jointly conducted by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB, a large percentage of India`s rural populace is simply unaware of the phenomenon called the Internet!

The data accumulated from the survey puts the figure at 84 percent of the rural population if India.

Many reasons have been cited for the reason for the lack of awareness regarding the Internet. To start with, most rural folks (as high as 38 percent) do not think of the Internet as a necessary service to have. While lack of infrastructure has had a part for this condition thanks to irregular power supply  and not to mention lack of connectivity in most rural areas.

The data collected from seven states across the country shows that in India, 31 percent of rural population does not have an Internet access point, 25 percent population has no Internet connection and worse, about 22 percent has no electricity! As for those who use the Internet in rural areas, Cyber Cafes are the primary source of Internet access for them.

BDST: 1615 HRS, 17 September 2010