[GKD-DOTCOM] Bringing Connectivity to Under-Served Communities
Dear GKD Members, A wide range of activities is bringing connectivity to under-served communities that lack infrastructure, electricity, and telephony. Many of these activities are sponsored by donor agencies. Many more are undertaken independently by communities, civil society organizations, and small enterprises. Yet it is difficult to get information about who is doing what, where; the outcomes and lessons learned. All too often, a few activities sponsored by donors gain recognition, while the vast majority of efforts, especially independent actions by individuals and organizations, labor anonymously regardless of their success and the value they can contribute to our understanding. This week we would like to focus on identifying activities that are bringing connectivity to under-served communities. We encourage members to provide concrete information about specific connectivity activities. Key questions: 1. What activities are endeavoring to bring connectivity to under-served communities? 2. What are the goals of these efforts? To what extent are the goals attained? 3. Who is being served by these connectivity efforts? Are the benefits widely distributed? Do some groups win and some lose in these connectivity efforts? 4. How do connectivity efforts seek to ensure that all groups benefit? 5. What are the costs and constraints these connectivity efforts face? 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
[GKD-DOTCOM] Welcome to the GKD-DOTCOM Discussion: Connectivity in Low Resource Environments
Dear GKD Members, Welcome to the GKD-DOTCOM Discussion on Connectivity in Low Resource Environments. We look forward to examining this important topic for the next 4 weeks. The DOT-COM Alliance will develop a white paper on the topic, drawing on the valuable input and recommendations of GKD members, and the paper will be widely circulated in the development and developing country communities. Cases described by GKD members will be cited in the paper. Agenda * Week 1: What activities are bringing connectivity to under-served communities? (10/27 - 10/31) * Week 2: How much bandwidth is necessary to have a real impact on development... and why? (11/3 - 11/7) * Week 3: What models can and should be brought to scale? (11/10 - 11/14) * Week 4: What's on the horizon...and where do we want to go over the next 3 years? (11/17 - 11/21) ***Background: DOT-COM/InterAction Speaker Series*** This discussion is sponsored by the USAID-funded DOT-COM Alliance, and InterAction, and hosted by GKD. It builds on a session of the DOT-COM/InterAction ICT Speaker Series (Washington, D.C. 24 September 2003). Session speakers included: * Dr. Michael L. Best, Research Scientist, MIT Media Laboratory Visiting Assistant Professor, Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and the College of Computing at Georgia Tech. Dr Best described the three keys to connectivity: low-cost technologies (including terrestrial wireless), micro and small enterprises, and a supportive public policy. He outlined the current wireless technology available for local connectivity, described his experience in India using small and medium enterprises to deliver telephony and Internet access to local communities, and addressed the need for supportive public policy to allow these types of interventions to succeed. * Dipak Basu, Executive Director, NetHope Senior Manager, Customer Program Management Office, Cisco Systems. Mr. Basu described NetHope, the IT solutions consortium of international NGOs who work in the poorest regions of the world, and its experience in finding connectivity solutions for development professionals in such areas as Iraq and Afghanistan. * Robert Bortner, Project Co-ordinator, Greenstar South Africa, Greenstar Brasil. Mr. Bortner described the Greenstar model of using solar powered community centers in the most rural of areas to promote cultural and economic development. Through a combination of solar panels, VSATs, spread-spectrum digital radio, or conventional cellular connection, these centers provide their communities with electricity, water purification, communications, education, and support for telemedicine and local employment. * George Scharffenberger, Vice President, International, Voxiva. Mr. Scharffenberger described a number of best practices in approaching connectivity and ICT issues in developing countries. He reviewed the integrated technology model that Voxiva uses, including a combination of telephones and the Internet for data transmission of disease surveillance information. More information on the session, and copies of the speakers' presentations, can be found at the DOT-COM Alliance website: http://www.dot-com-alliance.org/SS2_connectivity.htm The DOT-COM Archives of this discussion (as of October 27) are available on: http://www.dot-com-alliance.org/archive.html and in the GKD database: http://www.GKDknowledge.org We look forward to an exciting and valuable exchange of experience and lessons learned on this important topic. 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
We have been asked to answer five questions, which are repeated below with replies on behalf of OOCD 2000+ 1. What activities are endeavoring to bring connectivity to under-served communities? Oke-Ogun Community Development Agenda 2000 Plus (OOCD 2000+) is endeavouring to bring connectivity to the rural area of Oke-Ogun in Oyo State Nigeria 2. What are the goals of these efforts? To what extent are the goals attained? The main goal is to enable self-help initiatives through better access to information and communication systems. The founder of the project, the late Peter Adetunji Oyawale, had a more ambitious vision than we have yet been able to attain without him, but gradual progress is being made. Peter wanted to start by setting up an integrated information system, with a particular emphasis on inclusion for the illiterate poor. Illiteracy is a problem. In Oke-Ogun English is the main written language, but Yoruba is the main spoken language. This means that people who have not had sufficient primary education to become fluent in English are illiterate adults. Peter wanted to include community radio in his information system because, as he would say We must speak, speak to people in the language they understand. Peter also wanted to set up ten Community Digital Information Centres - one in each of the ten Local Government Areas of Oke-Ogun. The centres were all to enjoy full connectivity. He saw this all tying in closely with established community mechanisms for communicating information. Tragically Peter was killed in Ibadan in December 2000 before he had time to do much more than interest people in his ideas. However his work has continued. Regarding radio - OOCD 2000+ has established a close relationship with a proposed Community Radio station based in the state capital of Ibadan, but as the station has been waiting for over a year to be granted a broadcasting license that part of the project is on hold. Work towards establishing Information Centres is having more success. The first OOCD 2000+ InfoCentre opened in Ago-Are in June 2003. Ago-Are is the town where Peter was born, and where he is buried, so it is the natural centre for the project. It is well beyond the reach of the telephone networks which are limited to large urban centres such as Ibadan, several hours journey away. Our next goal is to develop the InfoCentre in Ago-Are into the *coordinating centre* for additional InfoCentres. As there is no connectivity in Ago-Are we use a system which has been described as the Oke-Ogun information relay. Peter was part of the brain drain and settled in London. When he was killed he was in the process of setting up links between his friends and supporters in the UK (on the connected side of the digital divide) and those in Oke-Ogun (on the under-served rural community side of the digital divide). That link now consists of the InfoCentre in Ago-Are; the road from Ago-Are to Ibadan; expensive and unreliable public internet services in Ibadan; emails between Ibadan and the UK; and volunteers in the UK who have inexpensive Internet access and use their home computers on behalf of the OOCD team in Oke-Ogun (finding information, making contacts, and collecting information on CD-Roms to send to OOCD 2000+). This relay enables the OOCD team and the community it serves to be included in some of the benefits of connectivity - albeit in an indirect, delayed and very limited fashion. Now that the InfoCentre is opened and acting as a focus for information issues, the possibility of opening a VSAT email bureau is being actively investigated. Meanwhile the relay system continues. 3. Who is being served by these connectivity efforts? Are the benefits widely distributed? Do some groups win and some lose in these connectivity efforts? It is early days to make any judgement. The InfoCentre itself only opened in June. The information relay developed gradually while the OOCD team were working together to establish the InfoCentre, and has only recently begun to serve wider needs. 4. How do connectivity efforts seek to ensure that all groups benefit? Regarding inclusion - the key people locally involved in setting up the project (VSO volunteer from Kenya, David Mutua; local farmer, Timothy Oyawale; and Local Government development worker, Amos Adedokun) have always emphasised comprehensive community involvement. When the centre opened representatives of many different groups were at the commissioning ceremony which was performed by the local hereditary ruler, the Aare of Ago-Are. In August an informal information needs analysis was undertaken in the town. Meetings have been held with various special interest groups. The groups (in alphabetical order) are the Aare of Ago-Are and his chiefs, the Ago-Are community committee, Distance Education teachers, farmers, health workers, school teachers, women, and youths. Between them these group cover a wide range of people, socially, economically and
