India needs faster laying of optical fibre cable network for better Internet proliferation services and invests more in such technologies, Eric Schmidt, Global Chairman, Google, said on Thursday.
“There are roughly 600 million mobile phones users in India (plus or minus), around 130 million Internet users and only about 20 million broadband users. So, by any definition, India is under penetrated,” he said while speaking at the Big Tent event organised by Google.
Schmidt said that infrastructure creation is important because the majority of the Internet users will come from countries such as India in the next 5-10 years.
Section 66A of IT Act
On the freedom of speech and laws such as Section 66A of the IT Act, Schmidt said there are some bifurcations needed in such laws as more entrepreneurs are going to take risk in the future such as putting up certain content.
However, he said the Indian Government is quite capable and will take care of it, as compared to other Governments in the world who try to dramatically sensor or control the Internet , like China.
“India is a country where very strong commitments are there to free speech…and a strong legal system,” he said.
Communications and IT Minister Kapil Sibal said that there should be no doubt that the Government is wedded to the freedom of expression.
He said the Internet is the most important and transformative forum. Underlining the power of the Internet as a most inclusive medium, as there are no borders on the Net, he said, “We must move slowly but surely towards making Internet the equinet.”
There are three important points for making the Internet an empowering, transformational and inclusive force, Sibal said.
“From the point of view of the State, we must have an enabling framework-rules and regulations must not come in the way of the growth of the net,” the Minister said.