I just came across the Gramvaani website (http://gramvaani.org/technology/) and they seem to suggest that new technological alternatives can significantly bring down broadcast costs.
Sajan, would this work within the present guidelines? It sounds interesting. Arti Here is what their website says: Radio equipment: We are developing an extremely low-cost PC based FM transmitter that will allow radio station operators to record programs and schedule transmissions. We will also support cellphone and landline dial-in to enable live interaction with the audience, and voice-over-IP streaming to host guests from across the world to interact with rural communities. The equipment will consume low-power and will be capable of running off solar panels even during power outages in the radio stations. Some other unique features we will support include optional template based ontological audio recording that will make the content easily searchable and categorizable, and solicitation of audience feedback through SMS and offline paper-based surveys. Internet connectivity: Rural areas generally lack good and cheap Internet connectivity — DSL and cable broadband is practically non-existent in rural areas, VSAT is too expensive, and dial-up is very slow and flaky. New technologies such as WiMax still await standardization and will take time to mature towards large-scale rural deployments. The Tetherless Computing Research Group at the University of Waterloo has developed the KioskNet system to enable low-cost and high-bandwidth Internet connectivity even in remote rural areas. We will use the KioskNet system to connect community radio stations with the Internet. Information portal: We are developing an information portal to allow NGOs, governments, news agencies, and community radio stations to interact with each other. This portal will form the heart of the information ecosystem that we are aiming to enable. It will provide automatic routing of content to appropriate entities in the ecosystem and ensure the timely delivery of content. Arti Jaiman Project Manager: TRF Radio [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.trfindia.org www.jaiman.org www.pitara.com
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