China ahead of India in internet accessibility: Pew -Governance Now

China ahead of India in internet accessibility: Pew

Gap in the ownership of smartphones between China and India is one main reason for the digital divide

GN Bureau | March 20, 2017

#China #India #smartphone #digital divide #Pew Research #India news

Internet use among Indians is less as compared to Chinese, according to findings of the Pew Research Center, a US-based think tank.

“In our latest poll, 71% of Chinese say they use the internet at least occasionally or own a smartphone, our definition of internet users. In contrast, only 21% of Indians say they use the internet or own a smartphone,” the study said.

The gap in internet usage is attributed mainly to the ownership of smartphone. As per the Pew report, nearly 68 percent of Chinese own a smartphone as of 2016, compared with 18% of Indians.

The growth in smartphone ownership in China has jumped 31 percentage points since 2013. On the other hand, India recorded the growth of only 6 points over the same time period, as per the study.

Broader economic trajectories between the two countries are also one of the main reasons for the digital divide, the Pew findings reveal.

“Between 2001 and 2011, the share of middle-income Chinese, those making $10.01-$20 (Rs 655 to Rs 1300 approx.) a day, jumped from 3% to 18%. In India over the same decade, the middle class share of the population grew from 1% to 3%. In 2015, China’s gross domestic product per capita (PPP) was over five times that of India. Our own research has shown a strong correlation between per capita income and levels of internet access and reported smartphone ownership,” according to the study.

Moreover, some analysts have argued that Chinese investment in digital infrastructure accounts for China’s technological lead over India, the study said.

Other reasons for the digital divide include urban-rural gap and social media use.

“More urban Chinese (72%) own a smartphone compared with rural Chinese (63%), and the same goes for urban Indians (29%) compared with rural Indians (13%).”

In India, gender gap on smartphone ownership is also causing digital divide. As per the study, 23 percent of Indian men are more likely than 14 percent of women to own a smartphone.

Comments

Other News

India retains 40th rank in the Global Innovation Index 2023

India has retained the 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2023 rankings published by the World Intellectual Property Organization. India has been on a rising trajectory, over the past several years in the Global Innovation Index (GII), from a rank of 81 in 2015 to 40 in 2023. Inn

Vibrant Gujarat not just about branding, also an event of bonding: Modi

Prime minister Narendra Modi addressed the programme marking 20 years celebration of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit at Science City in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. The Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit was started 20 years ago, on September 28, 2003, under the leadership of Modi, then chief minis

AI in education: How to embrace the change (and why)

It is often said that industry is at 4.0 and education is at 2.0. To transform education in line with artificial intelligence (AI), it is imperative to adopt what companies like Google are doing. We must learn to grow along with AI as AI is going to grow. There is a need to evolve the mindsets of educators

Diamonds are Forever: A Saturday story

Saturday Stories By Rashmi Bansal HarperCollins, 176 pages, Rs 250 From the bestselling author of ‘Stay Hu

Oracle Adds AI Capabilities to Oracle Analytics Cloud

Oracle has showcased new AI-powered capabilities within Oracle Analytics Cloud. Leveraging the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Generative AI service, the new capabilities assist analytics self-service users to more quickly and efficiently conduct sophisticated analysis and make better business decisions

Domestic airlines show 38.27% growth in passenger numbers

The domestic aviation industry has witnessed a remarkable surge in passenger traffic during the first eight months of 2023. According to the latest data analysis, the number of passengers carried by domestic airlines from January to August 2023 reached an impressive 1190.62 lakhs, marking a substantial inc