The Internet is taking India by storm. In just a few years it has grown in leaps and bounds. The requirement of expensive hardware and high fees to access the net had been the biggest hurdle in getting it across to the common man, so the demand for Internet services was not being fulfilled. So recently some adventurous entrepreneurs have stepped in and given birth to the rapidly growing cyber cafes in Pune.These cyber cafes are not dull and boring places where you get access only to the net and little else. It comes as a complete package which includes snacks, coffee, music and even basic Internet training for those who are totally new to this field. Although there are a few places that provide Internet browsing and e-mail facilities along with printing, binding, phone booth and what not, these cannot be included in the definition of cyber cafes. Cyber cafes are focussed primarily on the Internet. These are also the places where one keeps going back for more.We visited a few such cyber cafes around the city. The most striking feature was that the average age of both the administrators and the clientele was around 25 years. Almost all the cyber cafes used a dial-up connection to the Internet and not the very expensive lease lines. Most of them were open 24 hours a day.Chatting seems to be the most used feature at the cafes. E-mail is especially popular with foreign students and tourists. There a were few who had come to collect information regarding educational avenues abroad.The first cyber cafe to be started in Pune was the `Planet Cafe'. It now has three branches in Pune. One at Ghole Road in the Deccan Gymkhana area, another at Dhole Patil Road and a new one which recently opened near Aurora Towers. This also provides various blends of coffee, music and snacks. The one problem faced by the administrators was the increasing competition and price-cutting. This was because rates for an hour of Internet access vary from Rs 30 to Rs 90.Spider's Net Cafe is a nice new cafe that has opened up off Law College Road. They provide guidance for surfing and special training is arranged for housewives and children. Their main clients are students and companies desirous of training their employees. The administrators felt that this business had great prospects and was one of the few businesses not suffering in the present recession.Ashok Vijay Complex on M G Road houses two cyber cafes. Pune Cyber Cafe on the ground floor charges Rs 50 an hour while the one on first floor, Crystal Cyber Cafe, also has a pool table and presents multiple options for the customer to entertain himself. Most of its customers are foreigners and students.The West Wing of Aurora Towers houses Netlink, which charges Rs 50 for an hour. The owner, Carl Martyers, offers three hours of free browsing with every 12 hours. There is also tea and coffee decanters and personalised service. And for those who are very cost conscious, T Cyber Cafe, also off M G Road, provides Internet access at just Rs 30 an hour as a promotional offer.Unique Cyber Cafe at Ashoka Pavilion on Ambedkar Road is also having a similar offer of Internet access at just Rs 25. Even after this offer is over, Unique Cyber Cafe would provide access at just Rs 30, marked as `happy hours'.At such low costs, even those having their own Internet accounts would prefer browsing at a cyber cafe. This is mainly because the Internet access plan used most often by home users is that of 100 hours at Rs 3,000. So just the Internet cost comes to Rs 30. Add Rs 12 for the telephone bill and another few rupees for investment, furniture, electricity and PC wear and tear. This brings the cost to nearly Rs 50 per hour for a home user.Visiting a cyber cafe would also be a better option because you can get a modem speed of 33.6 kbps. This might not always be possible at home.In all, the cyber cafe business in Pune is doing well and is a very competitive field. And now with private Internet Service Providers (ISPs) geared to enter the Indian market, it could only get even more competitive.So all those feeling left out of the Information Technology revolution, cheer up and drop in at your nearest cyber cafe. It is worth visiting such a place to stay updated. For career minded students, in these days of competitive examinations, this visit could be a major plus. An occasional visit is surely affordable. Besides what might seem as a luxury today can be the necessity of tomorrow.The rates mentioned above are subject to change.
