The Indian Goverment Offers Free Movies To Encourage People To Use The Internet

Dhir Acharya - Feb 04, 2020

The Indian government, through CSCs (common service centres), will provide more than 4,000 movies along with other entertainment content.

In a new attempt to encourage more Indians to use the internet, the Indian government, through CSCs (common service centres), will provide more than 4,000 movies along with other entertainment content. A top official revealed that CSCs have received the mandate for offering last-mile internet connectivity via BharatNet, as reported by EconomicTimes. The services will come to homes using a system of coupons that are pre-paid monthly.

the-indian-goverment-offers-free-movies-to-encourage-people-to-use-the-internet-1

Not just the CSCs, but digital kiosks will also join the effort. Those who offer such services can do this via direct-to-home fiber or Wi-Fi. A senior government official said that entertainment content like movies is likely a good proposition to draw people to have the first payment for the internet. The official also said that those who buy internet coupons from the common service centres will first get free movies along with entertainment content.

As stated by the official, this strategy is meant for people to have the first taste of the web, hopefully, they will see the benefits before paying for the service. According to the minister for electronics Ravi Shankar Prasad, the internet services offered by the CSCs will remain free until March. Currently, the BharatNet is available at nearly 1.25 lakh panchayats and it will cover 2.5 lakh locations in total in the second phase.

the-indian-goverment-offers-free-movies-to-encourage-people-to-use-the-internet-2

The CSCs are run by the ministry of electronics and IT. The CSCs have more than 3.6 lakh centres around the country. They have also partnered with SugarBox Networks to carry out the initiative. Starting next month, this program will begin with 100 locations to test the initial response from people.

With BharatNet, people living there will get to enjoy fast downloads and streaming. The official said that broadband services are currently not available in India’s remote regions and 4G connectivity in these areas is poor. If you're still accessing the internet using your carrier wireless network services, remember to check the balance in case you use up your data. Here's how to check the balance for some major carriers.