Re: [GKD] Should "Developed" Countries Subsidize the Internet for LDCs?
Dear Colleagues, A quick set of numbers about a specific situation with regard to VSAT connectivity: As of September 2004, secondary schools in Uganda were able to purchase new KU-band VSAT terminals for US $2800 from the Ugandan offices of AFSAT. Monthly connection costs under volume-based pricing (1GB total traffic per month) is about $230. Recognizing the realities of school funding cycles, AFSAT bills schools at the beginning of each term, when school fees are collected. Roughly 45 rural secondary schools now have VSATs under this program, which was launched in the spring of 2003. A few of these schools serve very disadvantaged communities, and have received upfront capital in the form of grants. Most of the 14 that we've looked at are covering their recurrent costs via combinations of school fees and community-focused operations. AFSAT representatives say that their company is approaching the school market aggressively, and fairly, because they believe that schools are credit-worthy, in contrast to many cybercafes and other private operators in rural areas. They also understand, rightly, that as technology penetrates schools, schools will serve the largest installed base of computer and Internet users in Uganda's agriculture-based rural areas. This arrangement is far from perfect. In particular, some schools have more than 1GB of traffic per month, which results in increased costs for AFSAT and radical slow-downs in connectivity speeds at those schools. But the situation is interesting because it's arisen out of market demand and opportunities, which are being met by a largely responsible private-sector provider. In mid-2005, the Uganda Communications Act will expire. Intended, in part, to shelter Ugandan telecommunications companies during the emergence of the telecommunications sector country-wide, the Act has kept potential competitors from entering the VSAT market. One effect of its expiration MAY be a further lowering of prices. Bushnet, another private-sector provider, is also offering wireless connectivity in rural Uganda via -- I think -- microwave hubs. Cost of each hub is I believe upwards of $6K U.S., but these are intended to provide service to clusters of communities using 802.11 technologies. As of my latest information, there are over 30 hubs located in urban and rural areas. I'm offering these numbers in part to add to the general storehouse of information that this discussion has built up. I'm also concerned that private-sector successes in providing Internet access not be overlooked. The possibility of a social enterprise providing Internet connectivity to multiple communities, as Jeff has proposed, is intriguing. To be successful, however, an enterprise of this sort would need to compete against private-sector providers. The organization would itself be, in essence, a private-sector provider, yes? Best wishes to all for the New Year! Ed Gaible ADDENDUM: Has it already been pointed out that from 1995 to 2000 there was a huge subsidy (of a sort) of "first-mile" Internet connectivity? With the ballooning of the US stock market, literally billions of dollars were invested in vast fiber-optic networks that were laid across North America and Europe, and in satellite and Internet backbone companies such as Global Crossing that were operating internationally. When those companies went belly up, the wealth that drove that infrastructure expansion vanished. But all the infrastructure remains in place, "subsidized" by the investors whose stocks lost value. The question is (imho) what are the factors that keep that stuff -- huge webs of fibre and galaxies of satellites that are ready and waiting -- from being used at an affordable price? On 12/31/04, "Jeff Buderer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: ..snip... > The reality of these extremely high ICT costs causes many to think twice > about the ICT sensation among aid and development gurus and to look > critically at these programs. I am encouraged by discussions here and > plan to look more deeply and carefully at the economic logic beyond ICT > augmented development programs. I think this is particularly important > because the potential of ICT to transform lives, if properly and > effectively applied, is extremely high. > > I was wondering what other experiences there are in this group with > relation to satellite in terms of costs, reliability and how they > compare with the other forms of Internet connectivity. > > In an off list discussion with Lee Thorn and several others, we have > begun to explore some of the issues associated with ICT and particularly > in relation to the high cost of satellite. This led me to do research to > actually explore the costs. > > One of the concepts that my org OVF is exploring is the idea of > developing a satellite system that would share the cost of the satellite > with surrounding communities through a wireless system using similar > technology as developed by Tim Pozar for the BARWN pro
Re: [GKD-DOTCOM] What Are the 'Right' Resources to Foster Professional Development?
Greetings to all, As my friend and colleague, Scott Robinson, suggests, our consideration of the technical means of professional development begs several questions. Who benefits from professional development? Or, perhaps of greater importance, in poor and agrarian economies, Who are the professionals? In India, as in Latin America per Scott's example, income polarization leads to rising economic tides that submerge, rather than lift up, the poor. The same of course can be said of the United States, and many other countries. A cursory search for evidence yields many results, including: Juan Forero, "Latin America is growing impatient with democracy" <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/24/international/americas/24PERU.html> (Graphs income disparity in 8 LAC countries) Amy Waldman, "Low tech or high tech, jobs are scarce in India's boom" NY Times, May 6, 2004 (Describes job-scarcity for engineers in high-tech Andhra Pradesh) If we accept this situation, we might best explore the use of accessible tools to provide professional development for those 'professionals' most in need. Areas of exploration would (and currently do) focus on locally available, low-cost, and in many cases mobile devices rather than on high-bandwidth solutions. - Jiva Institute's Teledoc project uses mobile telephones running Java applications and connected to the Internet to provide electronic job-aids to rural health workers. - Voxiva Corporation has developed a cross-platform HIV/AIDS Information Management System that provides tools for health workers to report new HIV infections, and track drug, equipment and other supply levels; monitor ARV resistance and the health of people living with HIV/AIDS, and access lab results. - The World Bank Institute's ICT for Education division recently completed a proof-of-concept project using iPAQ handheld computers (PDAs) for the collection of Education for All data from primary schools in the Gambia. The project demonstrated the potential of handheld devices to reduce costs and increase the accuracy of the data-collection process. By expanding our models of professional development to include just-in-time job aids and decision support, we open ourselves to a welter of higher-impact, lower-cost solutions: Handheld support for classroom teachers to guide them through new pedagogies OR to guide them past lacunae in their own skills and knowledge; Telecenter-based decision-support for clients of micro-banks or MFIs, helping farmers determine amortization of loans for irrigation equipment; GPS / GIS support for local- and micro- water-management and irrigation projects... And of course, in countries where populations are disproportionately young, it is critical to support the development of the professionals of tomorrow. Education systems that stifle high-value, real-world skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and creativity, and that focus exclusively on building basic numeracy and literacy, do their students and their countries a gross disservice. An unnecessary disservice. This situation must be changed, and it can be changed -- in part because schools often provide the greatest access to computer and Internet access in a given community. Regards to all, Ed Gaible Edmond Gaible, Ph.D. The Natoma Group | 610 16th Street, ste 506 | Oakland CA 94612 +1.510.444.3800 phone and fax | www.natomagroup.com On 6/23/04, "Scott Robinson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Colegas, > > Responding to Gary Garriott's post re "why isn't anyone responding at > the local level?": > > 1) the increasing polarization dividing rich and poor in Latin America, > often the result of a fundamentalist "the market will solve the problem" > ideology, has obliged the best and the brightest in villages, small > towns and periurban slums to migrate to some country in the North. > Their remittances now provide a social safety net at home, while > regulatory environments protecting legacy players inhibits applying > emerging digital tools to lower remittance transfer and transnational > family communication costs. 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] How Much Bandwidth is Necessary?
Hello, I'm happy to hear Stuart Gannes' voice on alternative means of connectivity. Stuart's Digital Vision program has been instrumental in, among many other activities, promoting the use of store-and-forward models as a way to deliver information services in advance of reliable connectivity. And as many others have said, the answer to the question "How much bandwidth is necessary?" is critically dependent on what your program is trying to accomplish. For closed systems of data exchange -- as opposed to open systems such as browsing the World Wide Web and accessing documents or media files -- low-cost, low-bandwidth solutions may be ideal. Jiva Institute's Teledoc project uses commercial, off-the-shelf mobile-telephone technologies to reduce costs and enable sustainable, enterprise-based healthcare to reach villages. Village-based field representatives exchange data with the central clinic using a mobile phone to access the Internet via a GPRS network. GPRS is widely available in India, with higher-bandwidth CDMA networks now being installed in the south. Custom applications written in Java 2.0 Micro-edition (J2ME) allow the phone to connect directly with a central database of patient records at the Jiva clinic. Field representatives are able to add new patients, review patient treatment histories, and describe symptoms in detail. The telephone interface has been designed to accommodate the phone's limited screen 'real estate' by providing field representatives with simple codes and sequential decision-support. At the central clinic, Jiva's expert Ayurvedic doctors analyze the data, and then prescribe medication and treatment. Medicines are compounded at a regional office, picked up by field workers, and delivered to patients in their homes-all for 70 rupees or US $1.50 per consultation. Access to healthcare in villages is extremely limited, and is one factor contributing to much higher morbidity rates in India's villages when compared to cities. Teledoc is currently in pilot tests in the state of Haryana, where Jiva is based, and is providing traditional, cost-effective Ayurvedic treatments in villages. Jiva has offered Ayurvedic care locally and internationally over the Internet (60+ patients per day) since 1995. However, we anticipate bundling other healthcare services into Teledoc as the project evolves. The combination of mobile telephones, GPRS, and J2ME results in an extremely low-cost solution. Network installation and maintenance costs are borne by the private sector. The ability to exchange data between villages and the central database combines with a solid business plan and pricing scheme, and with demonstrated demand in the villages to make the project highly scalable. Jiva's innovative, low-cost computing technology has just received the World Summit Award for eHealth for the World Summit on the Information Society. Regards to all, Edmond Gaible www.natomagroup.com | www.jiva.org 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] RFI: Plans for Foot-Crank Generator (Laos)
Jhai Foundation is in need of plans for the conversion of bicycles for electric power generation. We have tried using a bicycle with a simple roller generator and have found that method unsuitable. We need a design which include a flywheel and a generator capable of supplying 5 - 10 amperes of direct current at 12 volts. It should be rugged enough to last 10 years with daily use. Information about plans, kits, or other resources can be sent to: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Jhai Foundation's Remote IT Village project has as its objectives the creation of a wireless Local Area Network that will serve the needs of rural villagers in Laos. Villagers in areas without electricity or telephony will connect through the network to the Lao telephone system to make voice phone calls within Laos. They will connect to the Internet to make Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP) calls internationally. Villagers have requested these capabilities to support sales of rice and other crops within Laos, and to arrange sales of handwoven textiles overseas. They will also communicate with expatriate family members. At the core of Remote IT Village is the Jhai PC. This rugged, solid-state computer has extremely low power requirements, and will run a version of Linux localized for the Lao language. The Jhai PC will be powered by gel batteries charged by foot-crank generator. (The foot-crank generator has been chosen over solar to ensure adequate power during the rainy season.) Jhai Foundation has determined that it will be advantageous to produce foot-crank generators within Laos. For more information about the Remote IT Village project, please see: http://www.jhai.org/jhai_remoteIT.html and http://www.techempower.net/0/Editorial.asp?aff_id=0&obj_id=794 Many thanks, Ed Gaible Edmond Gaible, Ph.D. Natoma www.natomagroup.com 350 Townsend Street, ste 309 San Francisco CA 94107 USA +1 415 543 6643 / 415 863 6398 ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** 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 Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
Re: [GKD] Linux Aid Server Project
I couldn't agree more with Mr. Morrison that context is the key to understanding any proposed assistance or development -- technologically based and otherwise. I've in no way suggested that Mr. Grant's proposed design is suitable for _all_ applications in all contexts, any more than I would dismiss Mr. Morrison's DOS / laptop-based solution because it doesn't provide enough functionality for schools or telecenters. Mr. Grant's design has the potential to provide value for networked computer installations in low-infrastructure environments. I encourage him to develop it on that basis and for those contexts -- I suggest as well that as a first step he work closely with organizations and individuals in his prospective user base to be sure that he's addressing their needs in terms of ease-of-use and functionality. With regard to Linux implementations and free software, again it's a question of context, as well as capacity, and also a question of future contexts and capacities. Linux may well not be an effective solution in all development contexts, or even in many of them, at present. But we are, I hope, building a future in which infrastructure is enhanced through sustainable means, and local technical capacities are enhanced as well. (And I'm aware of situations in which new, donated desktop computers have lain in the warehouse for months simply because the manufacturer's donation didn't include a license for Windows. Why not evaluate solutions to this problem, including Linux and alternatives such as New Deal software?) If I can offer a final suggestion: Mr. Grant has made it clear that he's interested in developing software that will support socio-economic development, and that will be freely available. If his initial design query _isn't_ valuable, perhaps Mr. Morrison or others offer guidance toward a project that will return greater benefits. Yes? Edmond Gaible ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, an NGO that is a GKP member*** 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 Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/>
Re: [GKD] Linux Aid Server Project
Hello, There are several aspects of this discussion that are important: Although I agree with Dr. Morrison, generally, that simple and durable systems are best, simplicity and its virtues can been seen from several perspectives. In addition, new tools are called for to meet new needs and to make new/appropriate technologies available in otherwise underserved areas. On simplicity: Although laptops are durable and feature low power requirements, they're more expensive and much more difficult to service. In school computer labs, teachers and students often become adept at scavenging parts to repair desktop computers. Such activities, although arising out of need, become one of the "benefits" of participating in school computers clubs. Such activities are _much_ more difficult with laptops. In Zimbabwe, at least through 1998, servicing of a laptop required that the machine be shipped to South Africa. On new technologies: Several features of Matthew Grant's proposed server design have already proven valuable for the Virtual Didactic Lab education project in Sao Paulo -- and could be of similar value to other projects that require heavy e-mail / Internet use in regions that are infrastructure-poor or poorly regulated. The LabVirt project engages secondary-school students in the design of physics simulations, which are then built in Java by graduate students at University of Sao Paulo, and uploaded to a central repository for use as teaching/learning tools. Schools involved in the project, located in underserved communities throughout the state of Sao Paulo, generally have 10-computer labs, with machines on the order of Pentium 1s and 2s. The project has designed and built a "blackbox server," which sits on one of the school's 10 workstations. This server links the computers in a LAN, giving them all access to the printer and maximizing the lab's limited hard-drive space. Critically, in a project that involves students uploading graphics and downloading Java applets, the server uses call-scheduling to optimize all email transactions -- processing these when the lab is unused and when the city's phone lines have the least traffic. If the phones are down or the connection is poor, the task is re-scheduled. (The LabVirt project has completed its second year -- I'm unaware of any publicly accessible "web artifacts.") One could argue, as well, that _any_ Linux-based proposal for developing countries should be given serious consideration as part of an effort to reduce the future costs and constraints of participation in an otherwise exclusionary networked society. Linux has already become much more user friendly, with graphical interfaces (not unlike Windows) and simpler distributions. It continues to run well on older computers (e.g., 486s), and provides good Internet-browsing capabilities even on those machines. And integration of Linux into development projects is one way to ensure that this collaboratively created alternative evolves to better meet the needs of developing-country users. In an alternative view of the future, Microsoft is releasing its new developers' toolkit (C-Sharp) this week, intended to compete with Java [open-source, free], and to integrate with Microsoft's dot-Net and Passport services -- all of these are designed to create greater dependency on Microsoft's proprietary software and Internet services. Regards, Edmond Gaible Natoma 350 Townsend Street, ste 312 San Francisco CA 94107 +1.415.543.6643 / fax 863.6398 www.natomagroup.com ***GKD is an initiative of the Global Knowledge Partnership*** 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 Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: <http://www.globalknowledge.org>
