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Internet Openness and Covid-19: Community Networks and their Importance to Foster Openness in India

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AutorRitu Srivastava - Osama Manzar
Ocupação do AutorHas over 10 years of rich professional experience in ICT development, managing programmes and projects at different stake-levels of competency - Global leader on the mission of eradicating information poverty from India and the global South using digital tools
Páginas139-145
139The Value of Internet Openness in Times of Crisis
COVID-19 has reminded us that community-led models are the require-
ments of this time. Rural communities not only build their own network,
create their own local content, but also are able to share their local knowl-
edge and sustain themselves while maintaining the social distancing without
disrupting the local market.
The steady rise of COVID-19 cases is a huge concern for South Asian countries
due to a lack of public health infrastructure and the limited availability of pro-
fessionals. South Asia accounted for 1.25% of infections1 and India has recorded
some 174,500 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths2 as of May 30, 2020. In response, gov-
ernments, corporates and academic institutions have not only cancelled the pub-
lic events and gatherings but also closed public spaces including museums,
restaurants to avoid the highly contagious pneumonia-like disease to spread
from one person to another.
On March 25, the government of India announced a nationwide lockdown. In
the scenario of isolation, internet connectivity has never been so important. Re-
liable internet connectivity is still a distant dream in rural India. Today, mobile
has become synonymous with smartphones in the urban context. Smartphone
penetration in rural India is still limited3 to the younger generation while the
elderly and women are yet restricted to using feature phones, which do not have
FIFTEEN
Ritu Srivastava
Osama Manzar
Internet Openness and Covid-19:
Community Networks and their
Importance to Foster Openness in India
26/10valueOfINet.qxp_Layout 1 03/11/20 5:54 PM Page 139

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