Rural India almost untouched by internet revolution: survey

New Delhi: The internet revolution has bypassed rural India with less than half a percent of families having the facility at home as against 6 percent in cities, reveals a government survey. “At all India level only about 0.4 percent of rural households had access to internet at home as compared to about 6 percent of urban households,” said the National Sample Survey Organisation (NSSO) report on expenditure in 2009-10. [caption id=“attachment_299992” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Reflecting the digital divided in India, the study said just 3.5 households per 1,000 families, had access to internet services at home in rural areas. Reuters”]  [/caption] Reflecting the digital divided in India, the study said just 3.5 households per 1,000 families, had access to internet services at home in rural areas in the year. However, in urban areas, Internet connectivity was much better in 2009-10 as 59.5 families out of every 1,000 households had the facility at home. Among the major states, Maharashtra was on top with the 104 out of 1,000 families had internet in cities, followed by Kerala and Himachal Pradesh at 95 each and Haryana at 81.5. The penetration of digital services was highest in rural areas in Goa with 50 out of 1,000 households having internet connection. Kerala came next with 34 families having such a facility at home. Among the hilly states, Arunachal Pradesh had the best reach of the Internet service in rural areas with 19 out of 1,000 households have such facility at home, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 16. The study further states that among the major states, Kerala had by far the highest proportion of households with internet access in the rural areas at 3 percent, followed by Himachal Pradesh at 2 percent. In cities, Maharashtra reported the highest percentage of household having access to Internet connection (10 percent) followed closely by Kerala, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. PTI