The global telecommunications industry has spent trillions of dollars in building a robust Internet network comprising fiber optic cables, radio and microwave towers for terrestrial communications, and undersea cables for connecting countries and continents. This capacity is augmented by massive and distributed network of data centres built by large companies and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) to provide users with fast and reliable Internet services.

While the existing network is massive, huge populations remain unconnected: Over four billion people or two-thirds of the world’s population still do not have access to Internet. In India, around four of every five people lack this resource, now regarded as basic as water. Even in the United States, considered the birthplace of the Internet, full coverage has yet to be achieved, with over 10 million people left out of the global digital net. Of those who are connected, around 17 percent (including over half of the rural populations) are lacking high-speed broadband. The situation is caused by both economic and technological factors. For one, rural markets have lower ARPUs (Average Revenue Per User) than urban ones. Expanding connectivity to these rural areas would entail significantly large telecom. backhaul infrastructure since mobile and backhaul infrastructure since mobile and microwave towers have limited range, in the order of a few square-kilometres and tens of km, respectively.

microwave towers have limited range, in the order of a few square-kilometres and tens of km, respectively.

• Cyber and Technology
• Digital Inclusion
• India
• Small Satellite

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