At 9.2 Mbps, Gujarat 7th in download speed
AHMEDABAD: Even as the IT industry in Gujarat is expanding its services and workforce to cash in on the post-pandemic digital boom, consistent internet speed and connectivity seem to be a challenge. With 9.2 megabytes per second (Mbps), Gujarat circle ranks seventh among all Indian states when it comes to the minimum download speed for wireless data connectivity.
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Gujarat lags behind Karnataka (with a minimum download speed of 17 Mbps), Delhi (10 Mbps), and Mumbai (9.5 Mbps), where the tech industry and start-ups have a strong presence. The state’s minimum download is lower than even Kolkata, Rajasthan, and Odisha circles.
Online education, work from home, and increased streaming services have pushed up the requirement for bandwidth, which is set to grow further in days to come. If the internet speed remains low, it is expected to be a bottleneck in times to come, said industry stakeholders.
Industry players also explained that many users working from home use Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) which reduces the internet speed available.
“Professionals working from home widely operate on VPN due to which available internet speed reduces to one-tenth. With digital consumption growing on both professional and individual fronts, a multi-fold surge in minimum bandwidth requirement will emerge over the coming years. Improving speed and ensuring consistent connectivity is therefore inevitable,” said Ravi Pathak, CEO, Tatvic Analytics.
Jaimin Shah, co-chair, Assocham – Gujarat state council, said, “The IT industry in Gujarat is clearly on an expansion mode after the digital boom that it saw post-pandemic. Part of the workforce in the IT sector and several other sectors continues to work from home, making the internet an inevitable requirement, which is not consistently fulfilled. Even though companies offer broadband internet to their employees working from home, serviceability of broadband connections is an issue in certain localities where they must depend on wireless data connectivity, which is often inconsistent.”
“Internet is now basic infrastructure for companies as well as professionals working out of home and therefore, improving its speed and consistency in connectivity is necessary,” Shah further said.
“Several tech startups are also mushrooming across Gujarat, riding on the digital boom as well as the growing interest of investors. Major IT firms are partially looking towards Gujarat for setting their base and therefore, demand is growing exponentially, thus fuelling the requirement for greater bandwidth,” said Pathik Patwari, senior vice president, Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI).
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