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Title: Report Reveals Digital Adoption—Not Just Infrastructure—Key to Bridging India's Rural Connectivity Gap

Southam, Warwickshire, United Kingdom, 7th Mar 2025 — A comprehensive new report on India's flagship rural connectivity programme reveals that despite impressive infrastructure deployment, low usage rates remain a significant barrier to digital inclusion across the country's vast rural regions.The report, authored by telecommunications experts Dr Shruthi Koratagere Anantha Kumar and Prof H Sama Nwana of Cenerva, examines the BharatNet programme—one of the world's largest rural connectivity initiatives—and identifies critical gaps between infrastructure development and actual adoption by rural communities.According to the report's findings, while the programme has successfully deployed 683,175 km of optical fibre cable and connected 210,552 Gram Panchayats (village councils), only 6,039 Wi-Fi hotspots are active out of 104,574 installed. This stark disparity highlights what the report terms the "usage gap" problem facing digital inclusion efforts globally."The fundamental challenge for rural connectivity programmes isn't just laying cables or installing equipment - it's ensuring people actually use these services," said Prof Nwana. "Our research shows that even when infrastructure reaches rural communities, barriers such as affordability, digital literacy, and perceived value prevent widespread adoption."The report identifies several key factors contributing to low utilisation rates:Affordability challenges for both devices and service plansLimited digital literacy in rural populationsUnreliable power supply affecting service qualityLow awareness of potential benefits from internet accessInsufficient local engagement and supportThese findings have significant implications for digital inclusion initiatives worldwide, suggesting that connectivity programmes must address bo...

This press release is issued by King Newswire