Chapter 29: Information Technology And Bhutan

Computers came in the ’80s before television, which became available in 1999. There are about 10,000 computers in the country now, mostly in government offices. There is very little penetration into homes, because charges for access are quite high. There are a growing number of young people who are almost getting hooked on the internet. Mobile phones were introduced in 2004 I think and use just shot up, within one year or two— considerably more than fixed lines which have been available for many years. Over 100,000 mobiles compared with only 30,000 fixed line phones. I think we can talk about “before” and “after” mobile availability in Bhutan!