Navigating the hype-reality divide

It has been an education watching the T20 World Cup and the Euro on my mobile.

- DEVANGSHU DATTA

I've been travelling, in North India and in Bengal, and often using 4G.

Connectivity has ranged from okay to terrible, making streaming a challenge. I use multiple service providers and devices and there seem to be few places where all three private service providers offer fast, stable connectivity. Using a VPN to stream the Euro for free is a joke given the latency.

Apart from streaming sports, another hobby that demands low latency is playing Blitz Chess. That too suffers from lags and disconnects and I can't play bullet (60 seconds/game) at all. On occasion, when I've had to make Zoom/ Meet/ Teams calls, I've had to switch off video.

By global standards, digital India's 4G networks aren't up to the mark. This lacuna in telecom infrastructure is part of an endemic problem: Making large claims where the reality doesn't match hype.

India claims great airport connectivity, but terminal roofs are collapsing.

India claims excellent road networks but bridges give way and road surfaces crack within months of inauguration run slower than the earlier versions, and the technologically advanced safety features don't prevent accidents. Even berths collapse. In the interest of generating more revenues, the Railways have also reduced lower-class capacity, causing overcrowding.