VISAKHAPATNAM: Internet penetration in Andhra Pradesh has increased by over 12 per cent in just one year and AP has the highest number of Internet users (24.87 million) after Tamil Nadu in Southern states. In urb-an AP, Internet users incr-eased by 12.67 per cent, wh-ile in the rural areas the rise was by 12.02 per cent. Experts say the growth is fuelled by several factors, including increasing mob-ile usage in rural and Mao-ist-hit areas in the state.
The Ministry of Commu-nications and Department of Telecommunications’ latest data revealed AP had 15.73 million Internet subscribers in the urban areas, and 9.13 million users from the rural areas at the end of March 2016. By the end of March, 2015 there were 13.97 milli-on subscribers in urban AP, and 8.15 million in rural. Former vice-chancellor of Andhra Univer-sity Prof. G.S.N. Raju said with the sharp growth in Smartphone penetration in many parts of the state, the growth in Internet usage, too, had increased.
An interesting fact was that there was no much difference in the growth of Internet usage in the urban and rural areas, he added. Sources said following demonetisation, Internet banking had gained grou-nd in cities like Vizag, Vij-ayawada, Guntur, Tirupati and a few other areas.
Once the state government’s Fiber Net project is implemented, which offers all the Internet, cable and telephones services at Rs 149 a month, the number of Internet users in AP would further increase manifold. A senior IPS officer on condition of anonymity said as ganja cultivation turned into a major source of easy money for growers, middlemen, red rebels and few others, the usage of android and smartphones in rural pockets has increased and Internet subscribers were growing in the region.
So far state-run telecom operator BSNL has expanded its network in Maoist-hit districts in AP. If BSNL and other private networks expand their network in the rural areas, AP would top in Internet penetration in Southern region, he added.
