What A Villager Wants…Internet Access?
Maybe. Zee News has an interview with Chintan Bakshi (COO) of United Villages, which provides Internet access to villagers via a kiosk and WiFi. The service, called DakNet, covers 15 villages in Orissa. Using pre-paid cards villagers order information (on health, career) and goods (like books and music) at the kiosk, or record and send messages as video, audio or text. A bus fitted with WiFi picks up information from the kiosk and delivers it to the United Villages city office. The city office then sends the messages and/or completes transactions for goods, which the bus delivers on its way back. So far, there are 7-8 such buses.
More here, including some info on ITC’s eChoupal initiative.
So looks like rural India’s interaction with the Internet is primarily going to be dependent on kiosk operators. Also, for almost all the services mentioned in the article, wouldn’t it be easier and more cost-effective to use the mobile for communication, and a bus for just delivery?
Posted In: Technologies / Formats, Broadband
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Comments (1)
Apr 18, 2007 12:09 PM
I think, kiosk is the good initiative to start with when it comes to providing info and internet access to rural Indians. All of us associated with social development and internet business should appreciate that there are few organisations which are totally committed towards such efforts. Mobile - off-course is other best option and this technology should be capitalized.
Mint carries a story today (April 18) on Cellphone firms like Airtel, Relaince Mobile, Idea will help in setting up one lakh computer kiosk by March 2008 in Jharkhand, Haryana and West Bengal under an initiative called CSC- Common Service Centre.
Whatever !!! Computer kiosk or mobile- the bottom line should be rural development?
Kapil Ohri