Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] The Role of the Private Sector
Some quick answers... Don Richardson KEY QUESTIONS: 1. What specific elements does a policy environment need in order to encourage the private sector to expand access to poor, isolated, underserved areas? Where do such policies exist? The World Bank's Global Information Communication Technologies Department provides some excellent publications on universal access policy measures. See for example: Telecommunications and information services for the poor - toward a strategy for universal access by Juan Navas-Sabater, Andrew Dymond and Niina Juntunen: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=detailseid=00 0094946_02041804225061 Closing the gap in access to rural communications - Chile 1995 - 2002 by Bjorn Wellenius: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=detailseid=00 0094946_0203070403326 Another excellent source of the latest evidence for what policies that work - Intelecon Research and its reports and publications - http://www.inteleconresearch.com/pages/rep.html 2. What lessons have we learned about the risks and rewards of creating public-private partnerships to expand access to the underserved? Where have these lessons been applied, and where have they worked? One of the best papers I have read recently: ICTs: Poverty Alleviation and Universal Access Policies (Review of Current Status and Issues) by Andrew Dymond and Sonja Oestmann: http://www.atpsnet.org/docs/Daymond.pdf [this paper also highlights rural telecom developments in Uganda as a potential model for other developing nations] 3. What are specific, unexploited opportunities for public-private partnerships to expand access to the underserved? Please provide examples where these opportunities can be exploited effectively. Remittance economies and increasing their significance in supporting revenue generating universal access initiatives. Remittances are both a source of revenue for private operators, and a strong source of demand for telecom services. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that Asian countries alone received US$75 billion from workers abroad in 1995 compared with US$54 billion in official foreign aid. Despite the significance of remittance economies for telecommunications development, this is a relatively unexplored area. Micro-finance institutions ought to be strongly encouraged to get more involved in universal access initiatives - Grameen Telecom's VillagePhone initiative is a clear case where the importance of remittances is linked to rural ICT access. One of the leading proponents of links between remittance economies, rural development and ICTs is Scott Robinson. See: Rethinking Telecenters in the Second World -- Knowledge Demands, Remittance Flows, and Microbanks by Scott Robinson: http://www.interconnection.org/resources/telecenter2.htm 4. What concrete lessons have we learned about stimulating/supporting local businesses to extend access to the underserved? Please be specific. Where have these lessons been applied effectively? See the Uganda Rural Communications Development Policy and its related Rural Communications Development Fund - http://www.ucc.co.ug/rcdf/rcdfPolicy.pdf One outcome can be seen through MTN Uganda's rural payphone operations - MTN Publicom in Uganda - http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/pdf/fg7/mtn.htm 5. Within underserved communities, women often face special difficulties becoming ICT providers (e.g., lack of capital, education, competing demands for time). Are there particular approaches that can be used to support women entrepreneurs who want to offer ICT access to underserved communities, beyond the 'Grameen cell phone' model? The Grameen model invites further replication. The replicable elements of this model are poorly understood. The Grameen Telecom experience is not simply about providing rural women with cell phones. It is about linking existing and successful micro-credit organizations with telecom operators (fixed line and/or wireless) to expand Public Calling Office coverage in rural areas. Small loans to rural entrepreneurs (Grameen's experience shows that women are excellent candidates for operating successful businesses and repaying loans) can enable entrepreneurs to establish PCOs providing a range of services including telephone, fax, email and even web, photocopy and computer word-processing services. It is a public-private partnership model that works effectively, and leverages remittance economies. MTN Uganda is already partnering with Grameen to establish 5,000 Village Phone operators in rural Uganda. This DOT-COM Discussion is funded by the dot-ORG USAID Cooperative Agreement, and hosted by GKD. http://www.dot-com-alliance.org provides more information. To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd For the GKD database, with past messages:
Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] Bringing Connectivity to Under-Served Communities
My main concern about WorldSpace is that it is billed as a communication system. Most electronic communication systems are two-way, they allow conversations. But WorldSpace is one-way. It is, in fact, a broadcasting system, not a communications system. Just as you would call TV a broadcast system. WorldSpace users are passive observers. I think it is a good broadcast system. It supports data broadcasting, which is new and has many uses. But if we are talking about ICT, information and communications technologies, this is an IT, not a CT. While communications systems involve connections and interaction, broadcasting involves transmitters and receivers. Although WorldSpace's own websites are very careful to speak only of transmission and reception, others make mistakes. The WorldSpace satellite network is an innovative communication technology that enables people to access information even in the remotest villages where there are no telephone lines or electricity. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1608394.stm The unique, patented technology allows inexpensive connectivity to the computer directly from the satellite. http://thinkcycle.media.mit.edu/thinkcycle/main/ development_by_design_2002/ publication__innovative_internet_access_to_a_remote_school_in_kenya/ Implementation_of_SchoolWeb_Project_at_Kabarak_High_School.pdf The internet is very poor at broadcasting. But it's excellent as a communication medium. As another person recently wrote: Because the WorldSpace product is a satellite receiver, there's no back-channel for data upload. As a result, you can't send email, request additional cached webpages or give feedback on whether a particular piece of content is useful. http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/xdev/22.html So, in conclusion. WorldSpace is an innovative and obviously useful information dissemination tool. But, on the other hand, a basic, slow email system (even with intermediaries) is better at communication. simon On Friday, November 28, 2003, David J.A. Sawe wrote: Arguably, the initial step towards joining the information society is to receive information, and not to transmit blindly. In the same way, a newborn's first breath is always to inhale and not to exhale. Especially in terms of educating, informing and entertaining, there is much that can be achieved through being able to merely receive broadcasts. If this were not the case, then the traditional forms of media dissemination (ie. radio/TV/print) could never have become as pervasive as they are now in our more privileged urban areas. So WorldSpace satellite radio receivers bring about inclusivity by merely offering a new option for reliably receiving high quality audio and data content in locations hitherto excluded from any of the traditional media forms. Of course, as with traditional broadcast media, other options would need to be looked into on a case-by-case basis to contribute anything in return; but at the outset, this requirement is not a sine qua non. -- 99% Devil, 1% Angel anti-spam: do NOT post this address publicly homepage http://www.simonwoodside.com for the developing world http://www.openict.net member of http://www.mozilla.org/projects/camino This DOT-COM Discussion is funded by the dot-ORG USAID Cooperative Agreement, and hosted by GKD. http://www.dot-com-alliance.org provides more information. To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd For the GKD database, with past messages: http://www.GKDknowledge.org
Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] Bringing Connectivity to Under-Served Communities
Simon Woodside wrote: WorldSpace is a broadcast system. With a WorldSpace system you are only capable of receiving data, not sending it. I wish to disagree in that we are currently using WorldSpace very effectively as a global multicast solution to refresh all of the Axxess servers that Advanced Interactive currently has installed across Africa. With a dialup line as a back channel the server maintains contact with the global Network Operations Center that remotely manages this entire network. In addition to providing high speed local access to Internet content that is refreshed nightly, the WorldSpace downlink also enables distributed Distance Learning content to be reliably delivered to every server through very low cost multicast. Through partnerships with a number of North American universities projects are being finalized to deliver curriculum to these distributed servers that sit on the campus of Universities in China, India, and Africa. This Intellectual Property is encrypted and totally secure, yet remotely accessible by the content developer. While WorldSpace in its native state has been a one way channel, this innovation leverages their low cost delivery medium in exciting new ways that extends the reach of distributed and e-learning to edges of habitation, regardless of existing infrastructure. And, as a number of other satellite providers also provide affordable multicast services, let us not discount this technology where a differentiated last mile solution can manage its shortcomings and turn 1-way downlink with a server managed dialup back channel into a viable way of a sustainable affordable connected community. Having been in India for the past 2 weeks, I have been able to validate that this model can be effectively deployed here, as well. This very low cost turnkey solution utilizes locally sourced, off the shelf technology that is integrated with the connectivity, content, and remote management of the user experience. Several major universities and colleges in North America have licensed their degree and diploma programs to be globally delivered through this innovative Distributed Distance Education model. This solution will be demonstrated at the World Summit on Information Societies in Geneva Switzerland during the week of Dec 8th. For any participants of this forum who may be attending, please plan to visit the HP booth which will be powered with this solution, including satellite partners such as WorldSpace and others. Regards, Robert Miller Direct: (416) 423-9100 Mobile: (416) 464-7525 Fax: (416) 696-9734 History teaches us that people and nations behave wisely, once they have exhausted all other alternatives Abba Eban This DOT-COM Discussion is funded by the dot-ORG USAID Cooperative Agreement, and hosted by GKD. http://www.dot-com-alliance.org provides more information. To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd For the GKD database, with past messages: http://www.GKDknowledge.org
