Smartphones are spelling doom for internet cafs in Mysore [Mysore] [Times of India]

(Times of India Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) MYSORE: The advent of smartphones and internet-enabled cellphones might have made life easy for netizens on the go, but it has spelt doom for those owning internet cafs here.

With less or no patronage, many internet parlours in the city have shut. The development is reminiscent of how commerce institutes -- that taught typewriting and short-hand - made way to computers.

Most of the internet cafs are now being converted into travel agencies, stationery shops or those selling confectionary. Some of them have turned into gaming zones, attracting children to online games.

According to those owning internet cafes, easy access to web on cellphones, made possible through 3G and wi-fi technology, is the main reason for fewer customers. Three to four years ago, there was good patronage for internet parlours, but it's not the same now.

Some owners of internet cafes said earlier, people used to queue up at their centres for chatting and browsing. "But now, only a few of them come to us, mostly for downloading and gaming," they add.

"Initially, I had good business. But with the advent of smartphones and internet-enabled phones, my business has come down by 50%," said K R Santosh, who runs Renaissance Internet Centre in Bogadi here.

To compensate this, Santosh is into selling cellphone recharge coupons, accessories and peripherals. He is also into system servicing.

Similar is the plight of Vishwanath of Cyber Net in Yadavagiri. "Business was good when I started this centre. But with most of the people having internet connection at home, the number of customers has come down," he added.

Admitting the trend, Andrey Robert, a techie, said he used to await his turn at the internet caf to browse some years ago. But not any more. "But now, I have a lot of options on my cellphone itself," he signs off.

(c) 2012 Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited

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