Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] What's on the Horizon?

[Debra Amidon]

Dear GKD Colleagues:

This dialogue just keeps getting better and better!

Let me share what our ENTOVATION professionals have been discovering,
and especially within the last few months:

(1) There is a prevailing interest in what started as 'Techno-Cities',
evolved into 'Digital/Information' Cities and now has moved toward
'Knowledge/Intelligent' Cities, Regions and World - the theme of our
recent Roundtable (14 November, 2003) in Monterrey, Mexico -
 - that
was hosted by Dr. Javier Carrillo, Director of the Center for Knowledge
Systems. ITESM. You can get a sense of the agenda that was managed as a
'Knowledge Cafe' and the resource material provided for discussion.
There is even testimony from participants and some detailed preliminary
conclusions. The formal report is forthcoming.

(2) Another current electronic discussion is underway on KnowledgeBoard
- the EU Portal - hosted by Dr. Ron Dvir, Innovation Ecology, on
KnowledgeBoard -
. I urge you
to scan his paper - 'Innovation Engines in Knowledge Cities' and
consider haw swiftly these economic concepts are converting into local,
national and regional initiatives - some without geographic boundaries.
You can also see the paper on the 'Power of Innovation Capital.' Others
may want to offer their insights.

(3) This provides a solid foundation for the building of EN2Polis -
, and our plans
to dovetail in Barcelona with Forum 2004 -
 - as the knowledge and innovation
agenda moves toward providing a platform for world peace.

For now, I would like to take this GKD opportunity to get YOUR own
perspectives on the evolution and prospects for the future. Comment
within GKD and/or directly to [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Always in your Network,

Debra

***

Debra M. Amidon
Founder and CEO
ENTOVATION International Ltd.
2 Reading Avenue, Suite 300
Wilmington, MA 01887 USA
T: 978/988-7995
F: 978/863-0124
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
URL: http://www.entovation.com

"Innovating our future...together."

***




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Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] Bringing Connectivity to Underserved Communities

[Gozie Ihekweaba]

The Worldspace alternative might be a very good one depending on the
implementation cost and adaptability to some environments; Nigeria to be
precise. Its drawback of inability to allow the end user to transmit may
not really be felt in some environments, where awareness-raising is
still the major issue. The consumers at this stage could be tempted by
looking at the volume of information which they can have access to
without any hassles. Beyond that stage, they will then be prepared to
communicate the information they have and that is when the transmission
problem could become a major issue.

Gozie Ihekweaba




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Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] How Much Bandwidth is Necessary?

[Joy Olivier]

Yacine Khelladi wrote:

> I believe all projects should be started like this from the needs, and
> build a sustainable capacity to manage ICT integration/appropriation.
> Whatever technology is used or available. And IMHO yes, every project,
> ICT4D project, is somehow unique, not necessarily scalable, as ICT is
> just one element in the complex "development process" equation.

I'm writing a paper on e-readiness assessments and the Millennium
Development Goals. A conclusion I've reached is that access to
technology is not the point. It's exactly as Yacine says - ICT is only
an [albeit powerful and potentially very useful] element of development
initiatives. The problem is poverty, and the digital divide is just
another manifestation of existing inequalities and injustices. I do
think that access to ICT is important for equality and empowerment, and
that becoming part of the Information society broadens options and
opportunities, but access is not enough. ICT for Development initiatives
need to strive towards enabling "Real Access" (see www.bridges.org),
with a specific goal that this access is going to achieve.

Instead of measuring e-readiness (how ready a country/community is to
gain the benefits offered by ICT in terms of policy, infrastructure and
ground level initiatives), we rather need to consider the application of
ICT for concrete goals. While those offered by the Millennium
Development Goals are only proxies for the complex and multi-faceted
phenomenon of poverty, they are at least concrete goals to which our
leaders have committed. Mainstreaming ICT through inclusion in national
strategies such as Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers is, I believe, far
more useful than thinking only about ICT integration without a specific
context.

Joy Olivier


Policy Associate
Phone +27 21 465 9313
Fax +27 21 465 5917
email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
South Africa: P O Box 715, Cape Town 8000 South Africa
United States: P O Box 53099, Washington, DC 20009-9099
http://www.bridges.org




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Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] Bringing Connectivity to Under-Served Communities

[Robert Miller]

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




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Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] Bringing Connectivity to Under-Served Communities

[S Woodside]

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."
   


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




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Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] The Role of the Private Sector

[Pam McLean]

I hoped to see a reply from Paul Richardson of ExpLAN relating to the
Solo. But as there is nothing about the Solo to date I want to share
some relevant background information. However my OOCD/CAWD view is from
a potential customer's viewpoint, with only outside knowledge of the
stumbling blocks. Paul would know the precise details, as ExpLAN would
maintain a close technical relationship with any assembly company.

My link with the Solo comes because the second generation prototype Solo
was field tested in Oke-Ogun in 2002 with the help of OOCD/CAWD. I was
one of those travelling around as part of the trials and through  my
(non techie) eyes the trials seemed a great success. The Solo is
designed not only for *use* in Africa, but also for small scale *local
assembly* - about 100 units a month.  The OOCD/CAWD team hopes to see a
local company go into production for a number of reasons:

- We want to buy Solos for OOCD InfoCentres - because Solo are designed
specifically for that difficult kind of rural environment.
- We want to buy from a company in Oyo state, preferably in the Oke-Ogun
area, because it would benefit the local economy.
- We want to buy from a local supplier because then we could expect
local technical support.
- We want to help small businesses to start because we are a development
project.
- We want to help projects that enable technology transfer because we
are committed to education and training, especially education and
training related to employment opportunities.
- We want to see a Solo assembly company set up because we know what
kind of spin-off employment opportunities it would be likely to generate
in the fullness of time.

How do the moderator's questions relate to Solo production in Oyo state?
> 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 Nigerian policy document 'USE IT' has some excellent policies.

If those policies are ever implemented then that would help to establish
local assembly of the Solo. These are policies which would make it
easier to import IT components. They would help to overcome present
problems of customs duties, delays at customs, things that would cause
sufficient cash flow problems to ruin a small business.

In addition the policies could stimulate demand. The government could
even become major, long term purchasers if they decided to implement
various of their 'USE IT' policies on health, education, and so on, using
locally assembled Solos.

It is also important for the bank to be interested, understanding and
supportive of the business.

> 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.

In the case of the Solo the public-private partnership would split in
the following way.

The Solo assembly company would be a private company. It is part of the
ExpLAN Solo philosophy that all investment must be found locally, so
that all subsequent profits are distributed locally, and influence
regarding company development is also local.

The public part comes in the initial stages of the company development.
A full order book is like money in the bank, especially if the orders
are from a trusted source. This is where purchasing by public bodies
could make all the difference. The company needs to sell around 100
computers a month.

I believe that there are 250 or 350 secondary schools in Oke-Ogun. Say
the policy was to put just ten Solos into each school, over a period of
two years. That would help the order book.

What if each of the schools in Oke-Ogun (I believe there are about one
thousand primary schools) teamed up with a donor school in the connected
community which would buy the partner school a computer. The donor
school might also bear subsequent emailing costs between the two schools
so they could keep in touch, develop an ongoing relationship and learn
about each other's cultures.

What if there was a policy decision to equip health workers, or local
government offices, or NGO field officers or the like. There are loads of
ways that the public sector could push initial business the way of the
company to help it get on its feet.

It is worth noting that the Solo is designed for tough rural areas. It
is designed with minimal moving parts (I think "solid state" technology
may be the "techie" phrase here). From a user point of view there is
precious little in the way of hard drives or fans and such like, it
stays cool, there is nothing really to break down. It seems to just get
on and do the job, powered by what the previous Nigerian Commissioner in
London used to describe as "God's own Kilowatts". This means that with a
Solo the total cost of ownership is mainly in the upfront cost and then
you should get about ten years work out of it without an

Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] The Role of the Private Sector

[Don Richardson]

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:


"Closing the gap in access to rural communications - Chile 1995 - 2002"
by Bjorn Wellenius:


Another excellent source of the latest evidence for what policies that
work - Intelecon Research and its reports and publications -


> 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:

[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:


> 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 -

One outcome can be seen through MTN Uganda's rural payphone operations -
 MTN Publicom in Uganda -


> 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.





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