Dear GKD Members:
It is interesting to note the emphasis on policy. I for one, based on my
education and experience base have come to believe that the Governments
must not make technology choices and it should be best left to the
forces that are well experienced in using it to the purposes they
Some interesting thoughts here. A couple of months ago the NY Times had
a feature on voice e-mail (v-mail) entitled The Talking E-Mail Blues.
Search their site http://www.nytimes.com or read part of it at
http://lists.kabissa.org/lists/archives/public/a12n-forum/msg00034.html
with add'l comment re
Concerning Al Hammond's remarks below, we all know that GSM cellular
networks and prepaid cards have resulted in affordable voice
communications for communities without adequate wired services. It is
true these networks can also be used for low-speed data transmission. I
have used existing
On the topic of using GSM networks for more than voice, our project in
Uganda is now underway. This is a pilot combining the GSM service with
handheld computers and an access point that will allow us to create a
store and forward data network for health workers. For more information
see
The regulatory environment is very poor for Wi-Fi in developing
countries. Please refer to the growing list of countries and their
regulations here:
http://openict.net/projects/openspectrum/
(choose ByCountry)
The reality on the ground is that MOST developing countries do NOT
have the proper
Many GKD members have argued that the for-profit private sector must
play a key role in expanding access to underserved communities. The
notion is appealing. The 2003 UNCTAD E-commerce and Development Report
states that in 2002, 32% of the world's Internet users were in
developing countries, and
