India Saw 1,157 Hours Of Internet Shutdowns In 2021 Costing Tax Payer ?4,300 Crore
India alone witnessed 1,157 hours of internet shutdowns in 2021 - costing the country's economy $582.8 million (?4,300 crore) and affecting 59.1 million Indians
Internet shutdowns were up by 36% around the globe in 2021, clocking on 30,000 more hours than the previous year. These internet shutdowns cost the global economy a mind-blowing $5.45 billion (over ?40,000 crore), as per a report.
Compiled by Top10VPN, a virtual private network website, the report listed a country-by-country analysis of internet shutdowns globally - placing India at the third spot.
WhatIsMyIPAddress
India takes the third spot
India alone witnessed 1,157 hours of internet shutdowns in 2021 - costing the country's economy $582.8 million (?4,300 crore) and affecting 59.1 million Indians. Global internet shutdowns affected 486.2 million people in the last year, showing an 80% increase over the previous year.
Out of all internet shutdowns, 50 major ones were concentrated in just 21 countries including India and 75% of all internet shutdowns were associated with human rights abuses.
iStock/Representational Image
At the top was internet shutdowns was Myanmar, which underwent a military coup recently. It cost the country $2.8 billion with total 12,238 blackout hours that impacted 22 million users.
Also read: India Loves Internet Shutdowns: States Impose Over 500 Connectivity Blackouts In 10 Years
The second spot was taken by Nigeria where 104.4 million people were impacted from internet shutdowns - costing the country $1.5 billion.
New America
For India, most economic hits were a result of the internet shutdowns in the former state of Jammu & Kashmir, where only 2G connectivity was available for about 18 months.
Also read: Over 100 Internet Shutdowns Cost 9,200 Crore To Indian Economy, With 4,196 Hours Lost In 2019
Asia (India, Myanmar, Bangladesh) remained the biggest casualty of internet shutdowns - collectively costing the economy about $3.42 billion in 2021.
Do you think a vibrant democracy like India should be imposing internet shutdowns on its citizens? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.
References
The Global Cost of Internet Shutdowns. (2021, January 4). Top10vpn.
I live for all-things-technology - gadgets, novel climate solutions, and startups that are changing the game. In my leisurely hours, you can find me binge watching science fiction films, writing poetry, or dancing to pop anthems.
Read More
