I'd much rather see India Programs arrange such deals than waste time doing things that normal editors can do themselves.
Ashwin 2012/4/11 Frederick FN Noronha फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या *فريدريك نورونيا < fredericknoro...@gmail.com> > > Wikipedia to be free on mobiles in Africa, Middle East > > Maina Waruru > > 13 February 2012 | EN > [image: A mobile phone] > > Millions in Africa and the Middle East will get free access to Wikipedia > via mobile phones > > Flickr/whiteafrican > > [NAIROBI] Millions of people in Africa and the Middle > East<http://www.scidev.net/en/middle-east-and-north-africa/>will be able to > benefit from free, unlimited > access <http://www.scidev.net/en/science-communication/open-access/> to > the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia through their mobile phone, starting > later this year. > > The scheme targets the region's 70 million customers of the mobile network > provider Orange, who will be given free access to Wikipedia on their > internet-enabled 'smart' phones. > > The deal struck between Orange and the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit > organisation that operates Wikipedia, will allow Orange customers to read > and download information from Wikipedia without the usual data usage > charges. > > "Price is a strong barrier to people accessing the Internet, particularly > in Africa," said Vanessa Clarke, spokesperson for Orange. > > But the project will face several challenges, according to local experts. > > Catherine Ngahu, chair of the Kenya > ICT<http://www.scidev.net/en/new-technologies/icts/>Board, said few people in > the region own a 'smart' phone that can connect > to the internet. > > "Although there is increasing ownership of smart phones, there is still a > large number of people who cannot afford them," she told *SciDev.Net*. > "In order to widen reach, Orange should consider marketing lower cost smart > phones." > > Michael Njuku of the Kenya Revenue Authority said obstacles will range > from low quality mobile handsets people own to a network provider's ability > to handle the increased Internet traffic as customers try to access > Wikipedia, sometimes millions at a time. > > "Governments in Africa must also do more to ensure that poor quality > counterfeit gadgets are not imported into their countries," he said. > > Clarke said the scheme will be rolled out in mid-2012, initially in about > eight countries, and by December some 20 countries will benefit. > > She said between seven and 15 per cent of Orange customers in Africa and > the Middle East currently have phones that access the Internet, but the > company plans to increase the proportion to 50 per cent by 2015. > > Kul Wadhwa, head of Mobile and Business Development at the Wikimedia > Foundation, said he expects the scheme to encourage more people in Africa > to read, contribute and download information from Wikipedia. > > > http://www.scidev.net/en/new-technologies/icts/news/wikipedia-to-be-free-on-mobiles-in-africa-middle-east.html > > Wikipedia is the world's largest online encyclopaedia, maintained by a > global community of volunteers. It contains explanations of many scientific > terms and issues, and some have suggested it could be used to share > scientific > knowledge<http://www.scidev.net/en/science-communication/opinions/engage-with-wikipedia-to-share-scientific-knowledge-1.html>. > > > More mobile network operators are expected to follow suit in the coming > months, according to Wadhwa. > > > > -- > FN +91-832-2409490 or +91-9822122436 f...@goa-india.org > Books from Goa,1556 http://scr.bi/Goa1556Books > Audio recordings (mostly from Goa): http://bit.ly/GoaRecordings > > _______________________________________________ > Wikimediaindia-l mailing list > Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org > To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit > https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l > > -- Warm regards, Ashwin Baindur ------------------------------------------------------
_______________________________________________ Wikimediaindia-l mailing list Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org To unsubscribe from the list / change mailing preferences visit https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l
