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| Shutting down the internet costs India $ 2.7 billion |
India has a large number of internet users in the world. If for any reason the central or state government decides to shut down the Internet, large numbers of individuals and businesses will be affected and lead to enormous economic losses.
According to the latest report by Top10VPN, a website that tracks VPNs and privacy tools, India lost nearly $ 2.7 billion due to internet shutdowns in 2020, more than the ten countries combined. The following sections are from the schematic diagram.
India also has longer offline times than any other country, with 8,927 hours of blackouts last year.
According to data from InternetShutdowns.in, a website that tracks internet congestion in India, the internet has shut down 83 times in India by 2020.
The main reason for the Indian numbers is the internet shutdown of Jam Jam and Kashmir which lasted from August 2019 to March 2020.
After repealing Article 370 of India's constitution (which stipulates that the governments of the states of Jammu and Kashmir enjoy self-rule in certain administrative regions), the government blocked internet in the region in August 2019 (the region has 7 million people).
In March 2020, when the state government lifted restrictions on accessing major websites, many mobile phone users were still using 2G to connect to the Internet as it was the only service they "could have".
A report by the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce indicated that the loss of internet disconnection and restrictions in the region amounted to $ 5.3 billion.
While it is difficult to determine the most accurate figure, it is clear that the Indians have taken a heavy toll from the internet ban.
Earlier this year, the government also blocked the internet in various regions due to protests against the CAA Citizenship Amendment Act, which granted citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from some neighboring countries.
Ironically, despite banning internet access in several regions last year, the central government announced that it plans to roll out fiber-optic broadband in all Indian villages over the next three years.