Internet

Marketers also need to understand the need to optimise for AI digestibility. Increasingly, AI systems favour content that is easy to analyse and summarise

The strength of Searches, despite its banal moments, lies in the breathing space allowed to each digital experiment without judgments or definitive conclusions

Around 47 per cent of Indians are still offline, and women are 33 per cent less likely than men to use mobile internet, global telecom industry GSMA said on Thursday. GSMA, Head of Asia Pacific, Julian Gorman, at India Mobile Congress 2025, told PTI that the connectivity gaps are mainly due to the higher price of handsets and also technical skills. "Nearly 47 per cent of Indians are still offline, and women are 33% less likely than men to use mobile internet. This entrenched digital gender divide could hold back inclusive growth if not urgently addressed," he said. Gorman said that the data is based on research by GSMA Intelligence. GSMA in a report said India's digital economy has surged threefold to USD 370 billion in 2023, from USD 108 billion a decade ago, and is on track to surpass USD 1 trillion by 2030. "However....unless critical innovation and adoption gaps are closed, momentum could falter before India achieves its 2047 digital sovereignty goals," the report said. The re

1 GB wireless data in India costs less than a cup of tea; using tea as an item to explain something is an old habit of mine, says PM Modi at India Mobile Congress

Gujarat-based Nav Wireless Technologies claimed to have deployed America's first-ever commercial LiFi internet system in New York City. The technology has been installed at the Silicon Harlem office in New York in collaboration with JESCO Venture Labs, Nav Wireless said in a statement. "Launching LiFi in New York is not just a milestone for Nav Wireless, it is a proud moment for India. This is a clear signal that made-in-India innovations can redefine the world's digital future by offering faster, safer, and interference-free connectivity," Nav Wireless Technologies CTO and Co-Founder Hardik Soni said in the statement. Unlike Wi-Fi which relies on radio frequencies, LiFi uses the visible light to transmit data. Nav Wireless claims to be one of the very few global companies with patented LiFi technology. "Through its US partner, JESCO Venture Labs, Nav Wireless will scale LiFi across America, bringing made-in-India technology to government agencies, defense establishments, hospital

Security was beefed up across four districts of Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly division, with police, PAC and RAF personnel out on the streets and drones in the air on Thursday in view of Dussehra, while the government has also ordered suspending internet services in Bareilly for 48 hours, officials said. According to a notification issued by the home department, mobile internet, broadband and SMS services in the district will remain suspended from 3 pm on October 2 till 3 pm on October 4. Home Secretary Gaurav Dayal said in the order that there is a possibility of social media platforms, such as Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp, and messaging services being misused to spread rumours and incite communal tension. The step was taken to maintain peace and public order, he added. On September 26, there was a confrontation between police and about 2,000 people who had gathered outside a mosque in the Kotwali area here after Friday prayers. Stone-pelting was also reported. The unrest was trigge

The United Nations mission in Afghanistan urged the Taliban on Tuesday to restore internet and telecommunications access across the country, saying the blackout imposed by the government in Kabul has left the nation almost entirely cut off from the outside world. The outage, reported the previous day, was the first nationwide shutdown since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 and was part of their professed crackdown on immorality. Earlier this month, several provinces lost their fibre-optic connections after Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issued a decree banning the service to prevent immorality. The disruption threatened economic stability and deepened one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, said the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. It warned that the blackout is crippling banking and financial systems, isolating women and girls, limiting access to medical care and remittances, and disrupting aviation. The UN said such restrictions further undermine free

A Taliban crackdown to prevent immorality is spreading across Afghanistan, with more provinces losing access to fibre-optic internet after the country's leader imposed a complete ban on the technology. It's the first time a ban of this kind has been imposed since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, and leaves government offices, the private sector, public institutions, and homes without Wi-Fi internet. Mobile internet remains functional, however. Officials say alternatives are being found for necessities. The northern Balkh province confirmed a Wi-Fi shutdown on Tuesday, with reports of severe disruption in other parts of the country. On Thursday, officials in the east and north said internet access was cut off in the provinces of Baghlan, Badakhshan, Kunduz, Nangarhar, and Takhar. Siddiqullah Quraishi, from the Nangarhar Culture Directorate, confirmed the shutdown to The Associated Press. The governor's office in Kunduz shared a message in an official WhatsApp group. The ...

A ship likely cut cables in the Red Sea that disrupted internet access in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, experts said Tuesday, showing the lines' vulnerability over a year after another incident severed them. The International Cable Protection Committee told The Associated Press that 15 submarine cables pass through the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the southern mouth of the Red Sea that separates East Africa from the Arabian Peninsula. Over the weekend, authorities in multiple countries identified the cables affected as the South East AsiaMiddle EastWestern Europe 4, the India-Middle East-Western Europe and the FALCON GCX cables. On Tuesday, that list expanded to include the Europe India Gateway cable as well, said Doug Madory, director of internet analysis at the firm Kentik. Initial reporting suggested the cut happened off the coast of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, something authorities in the kingdom have not acknowledged, nor have the companies managing the cables. That disrupted ..

Undersea cable cuts in the Red Sea disrupted internet access Sunday in parts of Asia including India, and West East, experts said, though it wasn't immediately clear what caused the incident. There has been concern about the cables being targeted in a Red Sea campaign by Yemen's Houthi rebels, which the rebels describe as an effort to pressure Israel to end its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. But the Houthis have denied attacking the lines in the past. NetBlocks, which monitors internet access, said a series of subsea cable outages in the Red Sea has degraded internet connectivity in multiple countries, which it said included India and Pakistan. It blamed failures affecting the SMW4 and IMEWE cable systems near Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 4 cable is run by Tata Communications, part of the Indian conglomerate. The India-Middle East-Western Europe cable is run by another consortium overseen by Alcatel-Lucent. Both firms did not immediately ...

Azure users may experience increased disruptions when traffic from the Middle East originates in or terminates in Asia or Europe, the company said in a service health status update

YouTube videos that won't load. A visit to a popular independent media website that produces only a blank page. Cellphone internet connections that are down for hours or days. Going online in Russia can be frustrating, complicated and even dangerous. It's not a network glitch but a deliberate, multipronged and long-term effort by authorities to bring the internet under the Kremlin's full control. Authorities adopted restrictive laws and banned websites and platforms that won't comply. Technology has been perfected to monitor and manipulate online traffic. While it's still possible to circumvent restrictions by using virtual private network apps, those are routinely blocked, too. Authorities further restricted internet access this summer with widespread shutdowns of cellphone internet connections and adopting a law punishing users for searching for content they deem illicit. They also are threatening to go after the popular WhatsApp platform while rolling out a new national messeng

Elon Musk-led Starlink has received a licence to launch satellite service in India, and a framework for spectrum allocation is also in place for a smooth rollout, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday. The announcement was made on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the first cellular call made in the country in 1995. "Starlink has been granted a Unified License to launch satellite internet services in India. Frameworks for spectrum allocation and gateway establishment are ready, ensuring smooth rollout," Scindia said. Along with Starlink, Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio SES are also awaiting spectrum allocation to roll out their satcom services. The minister said that over the last 11 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's digital transformation has been nothing short of extraordinary. "From remote villages to bustling cities, digital access has empowered citizens, bridged divides, and made India a global leader in .

The real issue, however, is that few technologies of the past created such uncertainty. It is true that nobody could predict what the internet would do to society

The regulatory guidelines will help businesses get visibility on the timeline to start their India operations for high-speed and low-latency internet service

Despite the promise of wide coverage, there is the issue of pricing. Airtel and Jio could help there

The imposition of the levy on the Mountain View, California-based search engine giant comes at a time of increased tension between Canada and the United States

Shutdowns were imposed 103 times due to conflict and 74 times across 24 countries during domestic protests

Telugu star Chiranjeevi spoke about not having a grandson to carry his legacy forward at the Brahma Anandam pre-release event. This has left his fans disappointed and sparked criticism on social media

An expected gathering of 40 crore people at the world's largest religious gathering for over a month and no call drops and seamless internet streaming. Telecom service providers and the Maha Kumbh Mela administration are on their toes to ensure smooth connectivity at the grand event set to witness record teledensity. Laying down of additional optical fibre, installation of new towers and Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) and deploying Cells on Wheels (transportable towers), are among the various measures taken to ensure robust and uninterrupted connectivity in the mela area during the event. According to officials at the Integrated Control and Command Centre (ICCC), three disaster management centres have been established in the mela area to support emergency communications and ensure prompt response during any crisis situation. "Mostly, all telecom providers have augmented their services here to ensure seamless communication for the millions of devotees and visitors. "Three disaster