Staff Reporter
Port Blair, Feb 17: While the flagship Digital India programme of the current central government kept many across the country and abroad fascinated, residents of remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands continue to endure with poor internet services.
The Lt. Governor of these islands has reiterated at several platforms that the islanders’ long-cherished dream for faster communication will be realised by 2018 after the completion of the Under Sea Cable Project. Many hopes that this promised will surely be kept.
On the other hand, taking own initiative some youths of these islands have now launched an online campaign demanding better internet connectivity.
In the online petition signed by many till date, the youth claimed that the administration has been lethargic towards the dire need to improve internet connectivity in the archipelago.
“Islanders have become chronic to internet in today electronic age, but the administration appears to be least bothered to take necessary steps to address the concerns relating to poor internet. Almost every islander have become dependable on internet for various purposes like online shopping, social media connect, booking air tickets etc. But BSNL which provides 4 Mbps broadband at Chennai, provides only 64 Kbps in these islands,” says the petition.
“Even crucial government services are adversely affected due to poor connectivity. Citizens visiting government officers for various online services often return dejected due to breakdown of internet links. The internet speed is slow in these islands that a 9kb Google Homepage takes atleast 5 minutes to load. Internet service providers on the other hand pass on the buck to the administration blaming it for the poor connectivity. In this 21st century, poor internet services have become agonizing for the islanders and the online petition by the local youth is intended to wake up the administration from slumber. We need change atleast in respect of proper internet services so that this remote territory remains connected to the globe,” the petition adds.
These youths are now asking for support from people of these Islands and urging them to sign the petition. “Supporting them only by signing the petition can ring the bells and prove an alarm to many big officials. Hoping for a change let’s do it,” said a local youth, who has already signed the petition.
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