According to a recent report by Top10VPN, internet shutdowns has costed India around $2.8 billion in 2020, putting the South Asian nation at the top of a list of 21 countries that curbed citizens’ web access in 2020.
Further, the report added that India accounted for about three-quarters of the $4 billion lost worldwide to internet curbs which is more than doubled compared to 2019.
India curbed bandwidth access for around 8,927 hours in 2020. With this, India restricted internet use more than any other nation the report added.
Further, it added that bandwidth restrictions in Kashmir affected access for medicines, businesses and schools despite the easing of a seven-months-long closure in March 2020.
The cost of internet blackouts were calculated using indicators from groups including the World Bank, International Telecommunication Union, and the Delhi-based Software Freedom Law Center. It includes social media shutdowns in its calculations.
