Name: Internet shutdowns in 2020 costs India $2.8 bn
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Internet shutdowns in 2020 costs India $2.8 bn

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(Subscribe to our Today's Cache newsletter for a quick snapshot of top 5 tech stories. Click to subscribe for free.)Internet shutdowns last year has cost India $2.8 billion, according to estimates by Top10VPN, a digital privacy research group.Top10VPN estimated that more than 1,600 hours of Internet blackouts and 7,000 hours of bandwidth throttling has cost the country about $2.8 billion, accounting to 70% of the total loss of $4 bn to the world economy.Restrictions in Kashmir, the longest internet shutdown in a democracy, have hurt businesses, schools and the distribution of medicine.“The limiting of networks to 2G has made it impossible for online classes to function adequately," Human Rights Watch noted.This caused willful harm to the careers of the students and teachers, violated the rights to education, it said.However, Indian authorities said that the restrictions were “in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India.”They lifted the restrictions in March 2020, seven months after imposing it on the state.Authorities continued to throttle internet speeds to 2G levels even after lifting restrictions.Top10VPN estimates the true economic cost would be even higher as a major part of the blackouts in the villages and city districts were not included in the report.It focussed on larger region-wide shutdowns.Top10VPN or electronic communications for a specific population or location, to exert control over the flow of information.It can be caused by Internet blackouts where access to the internet is completely cut off, social media shutdowns where access to popular social media platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp are blocked, and throttling where access to the internet is reduced to 2G speeds.You have reached your limit for free articles this month.Already have an account ?Start your 14 days free trial.Today's PaperFind mobile-friendly version of articles from the day's newspaper in one easy-to-read list.Unlimited AccessEnjoy reading as many articles as you wish without any limitations.Personalised recommendationsA select list of articles that match your interests and tastes.Faster pagesMove smoothly between articles as our pages load instantly.DashboardA one-stop-shop for seeing the latest updates, and managing your preferences.BriefingWe brief you on the latest and most important developments, three times a day.*Our Digital Subscription plans do not currently include the e-paper, crossword and print.Dear reader,We have been keeping you up-to-date with information on the developments in India and the world that have a bearing on our health and wellbeing, our lives and livelihoods, during these difficult times. To enable wide dissemination of news that is in public interest, we have increased the number of articles that can be read free, and extended free trial periods. However, we have a request for those who can afford to subscribe: please do. As we fight disinformation and misinformation, and keep apace with the happenings, we need to commit greater resources to news gathering operations. We promise to deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.Dear subscriber,Thank you!Your support for our journalism is invaluable. It’s a support for truth and fairness in journalism. It has helped us keep apace with events and happenings.The Hindu has always stood for journalism that is in the public interest. At this difficult time, it becomes even more important that we have access to information that has a bearing on our health and well-being, our lives, and livelihoods. As a subscriber, you are not only a beneficiary of our work but also its enabler.We also reiterate here the promise that our team of reporters, copy editors, fact-checkers, designers, and photographers will deliver quality journalism that stays away from vested interest and political propaganda.Suresh NambathComments will be moderated by The Hindu editorial team.Comments that are abusive, personal, incendiary or irrelevant cannot be published.Please write complete sentences. Do not type comments in all capital letters, or in all lower case letters, or using abbreviated text. (example: u cannot substitute for you, d is not 'the', n is not 'and').We may remove hyperlinks within comments.Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name, to avoid rejection.Printable version | Jan 6, 2021 12:53:34 PM | https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/internet-shutdowns-in-2020-costs-india-28-bn/article33501483.ece© THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD.Close X

(Subscribe to our Today's Cache newsletter for a quick snapshot of top 5 tech stories. Click to subscribe for free.)Internet shutdowns last year has cost India $2.8 billion, according to estimates by Top10VPN, a digital privacy research group.Top10VPN estimated that more than 1,600 hours of Internet blackouts and 7,000 hours of bandwidth throttling has cost the country about $2.8 billion, accounting to 70% of the total loss of $4 bn to the world economy.Restrictions in Kashmir, the longest internet shutdown in a democracy, have hurt businesses, schools and the distribution of medicine.“The...

Internet shutdowns in 2020 costs India $2.8 bn

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