Net users prefer Cafes, Public Access Points: study

Chennai, Oct 26 (UNI) Cyber Cafes or Public Access Points continue to be the most important internet access points in India with 39 per cent share of users.

This was revealed by the "Internet in India" study jointly carried out by the Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International, an IAMAI release here said.

It was, however, doubtful as to how long this dominance will continue, since the share of cyber cafes has been steadily declining from a peak of 52 per cent in 2003, it said.

Access from home showed a marginal increase from 20 to 22 per cent in 2003 to 31 per cent in 2006 and prima facie, seem to be gaining on the loss of "market share" by cyber cafes.

One of the most significant findings of the study was that access from schools and colleges remained insignificant at six per cent.

This remains a major cause of concern since internet access through schools and colleges not only creates the next generation of users but also goes a long way in reducing digital and hence socio-economic divide, the release said.

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