Editing Telecommunications in India (section)

==Internet==
{{main|Internet in India|List of telecom companies in India}}
{{Pie chart
 | caption=Market share of broadband (wired + wireless) services in India as of 31 December 2023 according to the [[Telecom Regulatory Authority of India]] (TRAI)<ref name="Traidata"/>
 | label1 = [[Jio]]
 | value1 = 51.98  | color1 = Blue
 | label2 = [[Airtel India|Airtel]]
 | value2 = 29.27 | color2 = Red
 | label3 = [[Vodafone Idea|Vi]]
 | value3 = 14.07 | color3 = Green
 | label4 = [[BSNL Broadband|BSNL]]
 | value4 = 2.78 | color4 = Turquoise
 | label5 = [[Atria Convergence Technologies|ACT]]
 | value5 = 0.25 | color5 = Orange
 | label6 = Others 
 | value6 = 1.65 | color6 = Yellow
 }}

Public, commercial Internet access in India was launched by [[Tata Communications]] (VSNL) on 15 August 1995,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Videsh_Sanchar_Nigam_(VSL)/Filing/20-F/2009/F7038892#toc84447_7 | title=SEC Form 20-F (2009) | access-date=30 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002054706/http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Videsh_Sanchar_Nigam_(VSL)/Filing/20-F/2009/F7038892#toc84447_7 | archive-date=2 October 2015 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref> though access was available via the [[ERNET|Educational Research Network]] (ERNET) to educational institutions as early as 1986.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Ramani |first1=Srinivasan |title=The story of how the Internet came to India: An insider's account |url=https://www.news18.com/news/tech/the-story-of-how-the-internet-came-to-india-an-insiders-account-1039533.html |website=News18|date=14 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211010021045/https://www.news18.com/news/tech/the-story-of-how-the-internet-came-to-india-an-insiders-account-1039533.html|archive-date=10 October 2021}}</ref> VSNL was able to add about 10,000 Internet users within 6 months.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/dxml/bitstream/handle/1944/1205/41.pdf?sequence=1 | title=Digital divide and India | access-date=20 June 2012 | author=Sursh K. Chouhan, T. A. V. Murthy | page=384}}</ref> However, for the next 10 years the Internet experience in the country remained less attractive, with narrow-band connections having speeds less than 56&nbsp;kbit/s (dial-up). In 2004, the government formulated its broadband policy which defined broadband as "an always-on Internet connection with a download speed of 256&nbsp;kbit/s or above."<ref name="Trai-rec"/> From 2005 onward the growth of the broadband sector in the country accelerated but remained below the growth estimates of the government and related agencies due to resource issues in last-mile access which were predominantly wired-line technologies. This bottleneck was removed in 2010 when the government auctioned [[3G]] spectrum followed by an equally high-profile auction of [[4G]] spectrum that set the scene for a competitive and invigorated wireless broadband market. Now Internet access in India is provided by both public and private companies using a variety of technologies and media including dial-up (PSTN), xDSL, coaxial cable, Ethernet, FTTH, ISDN, HSDPA (3G), 4G, WiFi, WiMAX, etc. at a wide range of speeds and costs.

According to the Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), the Internet user base in the country stood at 190 million at the end of June 2013, rosing to 378.10 million in January 2018.<ref name="ndtv.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/india-to-have-243-million-internet-users-by-june-2014-report-476987|title=India to have 243 million Internet users by June 2014: report|work=NDTV.com|access-date=1 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202213335/http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/india-to-have-243-million-internet-users-by-june-2014-report-476987|archive-date=2 February 2014|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/PR_No23_TSD_Eng_16022018.pdf|title=Highlights of Telecom Subscription Data as on 31st December, 2017|website=TRAI|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218024145/http://trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/PR_No23_TSD_Eng_16022018.pdf|archive-date=18 February 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Cumulative Annual Growth rate (CAGR) of broadband during the five-year period between 2005 and 2010 was about 117 per cent.<ref name="Trai-rec">{{cite web | url=http://www.trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/Recommendation/Documents/Rcommendation81210.pdf | title=Broadband status in India | publisher=TRAI | access-date=20 June 2012 | page=21 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927084149/http://trai.gov.in/WriteReadData/Recommendation/Documents/Rcommendation81210.pdf | archive-date=27 September 2013 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

There were 204 [[Internet service provider]] (ISPs) offering broadband services in India as of 31 December 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dot.gov.in/sites/default/files/List%20of%20ISP%20licenses%20as%20on%2031st%20December%202017.pdf?download=1|title=LIST OF ISP LICENSEES AS ON 31.12.2017|publisher=Department of Telecommunication, Government of India|access-date=2018-03-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328231112/http://www.dot.gov.in/sites/default/files/List%20of%20ISP%20licenses%20as%20on%2031st%20December%202017.pdf?download=1|archive-date=28 March 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> As of January 2018, the top five ISPs in terms subscriber base were Reliance Jio (168.39 million), Bharti Airtel (75.01 million), Vodafone (54.83 million), Idea Cellular (37.33 million) and BSNL (21.81 million).<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|url=http://trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/TSDReportJan23032018.pdf|title=Highlights of Telecom Subscription Data as on 31st January, 2018|website=TRAI|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180328165747/http://trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/TSDReportJan23032018.pdf|archive-date=2018-03-28|url-status=dead|access-date=2018-03-28}}</ref> In 2009, about 37 per cent of the users access the Internet from cyber cafes, 30 per cent from an office, and 23 per cent from home.<ref name="Trai-rec"/> However, the number of mobile Internet users increased rapidly from 2009 on and there were about 359.80 million mobile users at the end of January 2018, with a majority using 4G mobile networks.<ref name=":1" />

One of the major issues facing the Internet segment in India is the lower average bandwidth of broadband connections compared to that of developed countries. According to 2007 statistics, the average download speed in India hovered at about 40&nbsp;KB per second (256 [[Data-rate units|Kbits/s]]), the minimum speed set by TRAI, whereas the international average was 5.6&nbsp;Mbit/s during the same period. In order to attend this infrastructure issue the government declared 2007 as "the year of broadband".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7098992.stm |title=Broadband speeds around the world |work=BBC News |access-date=2 December 2007 |date=2 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071206111858/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7098992.stm |archive-date=6 December 2007 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/india-seeks-access-to-the-broadband-highway-11172011.html|title=India Seeks Access to the Broadband Highway|work=Bloomberg BusinessWeek|access-date=17 November 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120193030/http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/india-seeks-access-to-the-broadband-highway-11172011.html|archive-date=20 November 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> To compete with international standards of defining broadband speed the Indian Government has taken the aggressive step of proposing a $13 billion national broadband network to connect all cities, towns and villages with a population of more than 500 in two phases targeted for completion by 2012 and 2013. The network was supposed to provide speeds up to 10&nbsp;Mbit/s in 63 metropolitan areas and 4&nbsp;Mbit/s in an additional 352 cities. In February 2018, the average broadband speed of fixed-line connection in India was 20.72&nbsp;Mbit/s, which is less than the global average download speed of 42.71&nbsp;Mbit/s.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/india-ranks-67th-in-fixed-line-109th-in-mobile-broadband-speed-ookla/articleshow/63471893.cms|title=India ranks 67th in fixed-line, 109th in mobile broadband speed: Ookla|date=2018-03-26|work=The Economic Times|access-date=2018-03-28|archive-date=15 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915070354/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/india-ranks-67th-in-fixed-line-109th-in-mobile-broadband-speed-ookla/articleshow/63471893.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> In terms of mobile internet speed, India performed quite poorly, with average speed of 9.01&nbsp;Mbit/s when compared with global average mobile broadband speed was 22.16&nbsp;Mbit/s.<ref name=":2" />

As of December 2017, according to the [[Internet and Mobile Association of India]], the Internet penetration rate in India is one of the lowest in the world and only accounts for 35% of the population compared to the global average internet penetration is over 54.4%.<ref name="Tet-500M">{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/internet-users-in-india-expected-to-reach-500-million-by-june-iamai/articleshow/63000198.cms|title=Internet users in India expected to reach 500 million by June: IAMAI|last=Agarwal|first=Surabhi|date=2018-02-20|work=[[The Economic Times]]|access-date=2018-03-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324045652/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/internet/internet-users-in-india-expected-to-reach-500-million-by-june-iamai/articleshow/63000198.cms|archive-date=24 March 2018|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="IWS">{{cite web|url=http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm|title=Internet Usage in Asia|work=International Telecommunications Unit: Asian Internet Users|publisher=ITU|access-date=10 January 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120130233733/http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats3.htm|archive-date=30 January 2012|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Another issue is the [[digital divide]] where growth is biased in favour of urban areas; according to December 2017 statistics, the internet penetration in urban India was 64.84%, whereas the internet penetration in rural India was only 20.26%.<ref name="Tet-500M" /> Regulators have tried to boost the growth of broadband in rural areas by promoting higher investment in rural infrastructure and establishing subsidised tariffs for rural subscribers under the [[Universal service]] scheme of the Indian government.

As of May 2014, the Internet was delivered to India mainly by 9 different undersea fibre lines, including [[SEA-ME-WE 3]], [[Bay of Bengal Gateway]] and [[Europe India Gateway]], arriving at 5 different landing points.<ref>[http://sourcedigit.com/3006-internet-india-comes/ "This is From Where and How Internet in India Comes From?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511112910/http://sourcedigit.com/3006-internet-india-comes/ |date=11 May 2015 }}, Source Digit, 12 May 2014. Retrieved 4 June 2015.</ref>

===Net neutrality===
{{Main|Net neutrality in India}}

In March 2015, the TRAI released a formal consultation paper on ''Regulatory Framework for Over-the-top (OTT)'' services, seeking comments from the public. The consultation paper was criticised for being one sided and having confusing statements. It was condemned by various politicians and internet users.<ref name=Politicos>{{cite news|last1=Singh|first1=Saurabh|title=Politicos slam TRAI's stance on net neutrality|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/politicos-raise-concern-over-trais-threatening-consultation-on-net-neutrality/1/429135.html|access-date=12 April 2015|work=[[India Today]]|date=8 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150412222226/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/technology/story/politicos-raise-concern-over-trais-threatening-consultation-on-net-neutrality/1/429135.html|archive-date=12 April 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Gandhi|first1=Rajat|title=Net neutrality: Why Internet is in danger is of being shackled|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-04-08/news/60943272_1_net-neutrality-telecom-operators-viber|access-date=12 April 2015|work=[[The Economic Times]]|date=8 April 2015|archive-date=10 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160110023114/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-04-08/news/60943272_1_net-neutrality-telecom-operators-viber|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=TRAIemails>{{cite news|title=Indians rally for Internet freedom, send over 1 lakh emails to TRAI for net neutrality|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/indians-rally-for-internet-freedom-send-over-1-lakh-emails-to-trai-for-net-neutrality/539553-11.html|access-date=13 April 2015|work=[[IBNLive]]|date=13 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150415193045/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/indians-rally-for-internet-freedom-send-over-1-lakh-emails-to-trai-for-net-neutrality/539553-11.html|archive-date=15 April 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> By 18 April 2015, over 800,000 emails had been sent to TRAI demanding net neutrality.<ref name=TRAIemails/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Roy|first1=Prasanto|title=India's fight for net neutrality|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-32313704|publisher=BBC|access-date=18 April 2015|location=India|date=18 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150420153507/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-32313704|archive-date=20 April 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Over 3 lakh emails sent to Trai in support of Net Neutrality, so far|url=http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/over-3-lakh-emails-sent-to-trai-in-support-of-net-neutrality-so-far-263021.html|publisher=FirstPort|access-date=14 April 2015|date=14 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150414210848/http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/over-3-lakh-emails-sent-to-trai-in-support-of-net-neutrality-so-far-263021.html|archive-date=14 April 2015|url-status=live|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The [[Telecom Regulatory Authority of India|TRAI]] on 8 February 2016, notified the Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016 which barred telecom service providers from charging differential rates for data services.<ref>{{Cite news|url =http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/telecom-regulator-bans-differential-pricing-for-data-supports-net-neutrality-1275030|title =India Chooses Net Neutrality, Facebook's Free Basics Is Nixed|date =8 February 2016|access-date =9 February 2016|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160208221830/http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/telecom-regulator-bans-differential-pricing-for-data-supports-net-neutrality-1275030|archive-date =8 February 2016|url-status =live|df =dmy-all}}</ref>

The 2016 Regulation,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/Regulation_Data_Service.pdf |title={title} |access-date=7 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621203239/http://trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/Regulation_Data_Service.pdf |archive-date=21 June 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> stipulates that:

# No service provider can offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content.
# No service provider shall enter into any arrangement, agreement or contract, by whatever name called, with any person, natural or legal, that the effect of discriminatory tariffs for data services being offered or charged by the service provider for the purpose of evading the prohibition in this regulation.
# Reduced tariff for accessing or providing emergency services, or at times of public emergency has been permitted.
# Financial disincentives for contravention of the regulation have also been specified.
# TRAI may review these regulations after a period of two years.