Weekly news roundup - Asia, 24 September 2007

Created By: vignesh on 24-Sep-2007 12:00 AM

Telenor sets up Rabta Centres in rural Pakistan

Telenor Pakistan is a leading GSM cellular service provider, and is a subsidiary of Telenor, Norway, has launched Telenor Rabta Centres as part of a pilot project involving local communities. These community information centres offer all modern communication facilities under one roof. The services use Telenor Pakistan's high-speed EDGE network. Telenor Pakistan is collaborating with the GSMA Development Fund, Nokia Siemens Networks and the ILO (International Labour Organization) on the project. Each centre is equipped with two PCs with EDGE data card to connect to the Internet, a printer, scanner, webcam, and a handset with Telenor Pakistan connection. According to Sigvart Voss Eriksen, CMO, Telenor Pakistan “It is well known that efficiency and productivity of a population increases with easy access to ICTs, thus contributing to their well-being and prosperity. Telenor Pakistan with its largest EDGE network will make it possible for these rural communities to connect to the Internet, download content, and send and receive data, including digital images, web pages and photos up to four times faster than GPRS.”

Village Knowledge Centres (VKC) to empower farmers of Kerala, India

The Thiruvananthapuram District Panchayat of Kerala, located in the southern part of India, has initiated a project to provide farmers with a gateway to the cyber world. The panchayat is setting up four Village Knowledge Centres (VKC) to empower farmers with modern ICT tools. The initiative is part of the Samagra Rural Business Hub (RBH), project for promotion of banana cultivation and manufacture of value-added products. The VKCs will be equipped with field staff to provide advice and train farmers. The centres will have Internet access and videoconferencing facility, using which farmers can interact with scientists from the Kerala Agricultural University. The Rs.42.665-crore project will be jointly funded by the National Horticulture Mission, Kudumbasree Mission, the panchayat and banks.

CLCs, for spreading IT to rural Bangladesh

The Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) is funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and sponsored by the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives of the Government of Bangladesh. The programme aims to improve the livelihood security of the very poorest people living in the north-west Bangladesh. CLP plans to establish Computer Learning Centres (CLCs) in educational institutions in rural Bangladesh. The project sites were chosen based on geographical location, availability of electricity, eagerness of the school management and its willingness to help. Every CLC has a computer lab for hands-on training. An introductory curriculum was developed in consultation with computer scientists, based on which a student's manual, "Esho Computer Shikhi" (Let Us Learn Computers), has been published. Two teachers from each CLC receive two weeks of intensive training from Development Research Network (D.Net) professionals. Students receive hands-on training on computers free of charge, and are given a copy of the student's manual at a nominal cost.

e-Halli centres to be launched in Karnataka, India

The State Government of Karnataka, located in the south-western part of India, will soon launch e-Halli centres, an e-Governance initiative, for disseminating all kinds of information to the people residing in villages. The centres will be established on the premises of all 5,628 gram panchayats in the State and they will be evolved into a one-stop shop for disseminating a wide array of information to village residents. The estimated cost of the project is about Rs. 100 crore. The programme, which is piloted by the Department for Women and Child Welfare and Karnataka State Women Development Corporation, will be launched in November. e-Halli, conceptualised on the basis of A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India, ‘Providing Urban Amenities in Rural Areas (PURA)’, aims at bridging the information gap between villages and cities. The Yashaswini Nagara Hagu Grameena Abhivruddhi Parishat (YNGAP), a NGO of Davangere District, is the nodal agency for establishing these centres.

Taiwan develops telecare services for aging population

Taiwan an island in east Asia, is keen on developing telecare services to cope with an aging population. The number of citizens who are 65 years-old or older reached 10 percent of Taiwan's national population in 2006. A pilot project has been trying to establish telecare infrastructure in three dimensions - home care, community care and institution care. The Executive Yuan has submitted a 10-year programme for providing health care to the elderly. According to Lee Johnsee, Director, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and President of Telecare Industry Alliance Taiwan (TIAT) “Telecare services combine social networks, telecommunications and health care. With Taiwan's well-trained medical workers, good medical centers and advanced ICT development, we have the strength to develop this industry”. The project aims to provide an information-sharing platform and mechanism, develop a supportive mechanism for emergency and consultative services, especially in the rural mountainous and outlying island areas, Chen said.

Use ICT to improve the reach of micro-finance in rural India: Planning Commission

The Planning Commission, Government of India has suggested the Centre to come out with a national policy on micro-finance with a view to financially empower the BPL families and reduce overall poverty in the country. In a report on strengthening the micro-finance sector, the Plan panel pointed out that government should utilise Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for improving the reach of micro-finance in rural areas of the country. The Department of Information Technology (DIT), Government of India, should also coordinate with NABARD and Rural Development Ministry to integrate the 'Computer-Munshi System' of accounting with the ICT enabled common service centres programme of the DIT.

Ericsson launches rural wireless broadband project

Ericsson India Private Ltd, launched a rural wireless broadband connectivity project named Gramjyoti in the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu in partnership with four other companies and a non-government organisation (NGO). The project will cover 18 villages and 15 small towns in the region around Mahabalipuram and will cater to around one lakh people residing there. It aims to provide high-speed Internet connection enabling the users to access a range of services including telemedicine, e-Education, e-Governance, online local information, voice and video call services, live television and entertainment. According to P. Balaji, Vice President (Marketing & Strategy), Ericsson “the initiative seeks to demonstrate how the new WCDMA/HSPA technology can be a major catalyst for social and economic empowerment by bridging the digital divide and improve productivity and quality of life.” The entire exercise is not a corporate social responsibility project but would eventually be a self-sustaining revenue generating activity, he added.

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