The internet revolution has allowed rapid exchange of communication through email. However, the internet has not reached most of the rural India and other remote areas. To bridge this digital divide, and to bring the benefit of the revolutionary internet technology to people living in these areas, Department of Posts has introduced epost.
The epost was initially launched in 5 States on experimental basis. In the wake of the experience gained, a tie up has been established with National Informatics Centre (NIC) who have developed the software, and the service is being launched on national basis.
epost is a service under which printed or even handwritten messages of customers are scanned and transmitted as email through internet. At the destination offices, these messages are printed, enveloped and delivered through postmen like other letters at the postal addresses.
For this purpose, epost centres have been set up in the Post Offices, covering all the districts and major towns. These epost centres are equipped with internet connection, computers, printers and other necessary equipment.
However, epost service is not limited to the epost centres. It can be availed of from any Post Office. Irrespective of whether a customer is in a metropolis or in a remote village, he can send and receive epost messages. The messages booked at Post Offices which are not the epost centres, are sent to epost centres for scanning and dispatch. Similarly, messages received at epost centres for areas beyond their delivery jurisdiction are printed and sent to concerned Post Offices for delivery.
Besides availing epost service through Post Offices, it can also be accessed from customer’s home or office if he has a computer and internet access. The customer can make payment through a prepaid card that is available from selected Post Offices and other outlets. The customer has to register as a user, and can access the service at the epost portal indiapost.nic.in and following the instructions. At present, only text messages can be sent in this mode.
e messages can also be sent to email ID(s) anywhere in the world. Booking can be done from both a Post Office or from customer’s computer at home or office.
The epost messages would be printed on A4 (8.27” x 11.69”) size paper. Therefore, the message booked should be in sheets of no more than A4 size. However, there is no limit on the number of pages that can be sent.
epost messages are treated on par with the unregistered letters under the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.
The current rates for the epost service are Rs. 10 per page per addressee.
With the launching of the epost by INDIA POST, email can now be sent and received by even the people living in remote areas, even without the sender or the addressee having access to computers or internet.
Besides making the benefits of internet available even to Indians living in remote areas, epost enables businessmen and professionals to advertise their products and services to select customers. They can send their publicity material even from their or home or office from their computers, without having to spend for printing of advertisements and then on posting or hand delivering them.
For availing the epost service, or to have further information, customers can approach the nearest post office or log on to indiapost.nic.in.
