The Hindu Business Line : Maharashtra tops in number of ISPs

New Delhi March 12 Delhi may be the hottest market for cellular operators, but when it comes to Internet services operators prefer Maharashtra to other States.

Of the 320 regional ISPs registered with the Government, 48 offer services in Maharashtra. The next hottest spot for ISPs is Gujarat (33), followed by Uttar Pradesh (32). In comparison, Delhi has only 13 licensed ISPs, according to data available with the Department of Telecom. The data does not include 63 ISPs with national licence.

According to industry watchers, the demand for data services is higher in Maharashtra due to the presence of large corporates in Mumbai. Tamil Nadu, with 28 operators, is next on the list followed by Andhra Pradesh (25).Karnataka follows next with 23 ISPs.

Maharashtra is also the most happening State when it comes to Internet subscriber base. Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh appear in the top five as far as subscribers are concerned.

The total base stood at 80.10 lakh for the quarter ended September 2006, compared to 77.1 lakh during the preceding quarter and 61.25 lakh at the end of September 2005 (an annual growth rate of 32.07 per cent).

The Government is in the process of formulating a policy to streamline the functioning of ISPsThe Internet industry has expressed its concern over some of the proposals being discussed, including imposing a licence fee on ISPs.