“We added more internet subscribers in rural areas over the past 3 years (2019-21) than in their urban counterparts (95.76 million versus 92.81 million in rural and urban areas, respectively),” the survey said.
It attributed the growth to dedicated digital initiatives in rural areas through government schemes such as the BharatNet project, Telecom development planAspirational District Scheme, initiatives in the North East region through a Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan (CTDP) and initiatives in areas affected by Left extremism (LWE), among others.
According to the survey, the Center’s efforts to focus on bridging the gap between rural and urban internet penetration have yielded positive results.
“This significant growth in rural India has been the biggest shock absorber during the COVID-19 pandemic when both business and consumer demand were impacted. As the majority of the labor force migrated in reverse to rural areas in search of livelihoods, agriculture (3.4 percent growth in FY20-21), as well as the world’s largest employment program MNREGA, supported the domestic economy, the survey said. .
The development of digital infrastructure over the years in rural areas ensured timely and transparent payments to the beneficiaries of government schemes directly into their bank accounts, limiting their exposure to the Covid virus, and with limited affordability and accessibility to private education, the digital support system in government schools incorporated the then-much-needed enrollment to close the learning gap.
Triggered by inflationary pressures, SIM card consolidation and the slowdown in feature phone upgrades are expected to continue for a few more quarters, analysts added. Market leader Reliance Jio lost the largest number of active subscribers, a development that analysts say could slow the industry’s major rate hikes.
“As education moved online for a significant period of time even after the pandemic, the increase in internet subscriptions in rural areas helped significantly reduce learning loss. This has even enabled the successful roll-out of mass vaccination in rural areas,” the survey said. “The 200 percent increase in internet subscriptions in rural areas between 2015 and 2021 versus 158 percent in urban areas reflects the government’s increased push to bring digital connectivity to the same level in rural and urban areas” , it added.
It said continued proliferation measures such as the BharatNet project will improve accessibility, affordability, connectivity and inclusiveness across India.