e-POST : Bridging the Digital Divide

1. The postal department of the Government of India has introduced a web-based value-added service, namely, e-Post. Through e-Post, messages are downloaded at identified post offices and delivered to the addressees as hard copies, thereby connecting individuals without access to the PC/internet and thus reducing the digital divide.
2. The department launched the service nation¬wide on 30 January 2004.
3. The e-Post messages are transmitted as an email. The messages addressed to personal email IDs will be delivered to that inbox only. And messages meant for postal addresses, will be downloaded and printed (only in black and white at present) at the e-Post centers nearest to the addresses, enveloped and sent to the postal addresses like letters for delivery through postmen in India only.
4. The e-Post portal can be accessed on the internet from anywhere in the world. The payment has to be made through the e-Post cash card. Anybody in India can open and recharge the account on behalf of the sender.
5. Through e-Post, customers can send their messages to any address in India with a combination of electronic transmission and physical delivery through a network of more than 1,55,000 Post Offices. e-Post sends messages as a soft copy through internet and delivers as hard copy at the destination  to the addressee.
6. e-Post costs just Rs. 10 per page of A4 size.
7. e-Post can also be availed by the corporate customers, by having a business agreement with India Post. Corporate customers will get special e-Post rates and other value additions.