Email
Print
ShareWeekly news roundup - Asia, 07 April 2008
Location: New Delhi
Created By: vignesh on 6-Apr-2008 10:43 PM
After successfully piloting ICT telecentres in some districts of the country, the Malawi Government is coming up with ICT services across the country. The Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA) regulates these telecentres. Women will operate these telecentres. The telecentres fall under a government initiative called Universal Access Policy, which aims at addressing access to telecommunication issues in rural and under-served communities. The establishment of ICT telecentres in rural areas will go a long way in assisting the rural mass to have access to the services. These telecentres will provide Internet services, photo studio, video services, ID processing, computer education, fax, phone services, lamination, photocopying and other services.
UN launches initiative to improve Internet access in Asia-Pacific region
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has launched a new database to promote the development of telecentres, common community centres, so that people in the poorest and most remote areas, from farmers to students gain access to computers and the Internet. The Telecentre Online Database will cover more than 12000 telecentres in 16 countries. The online database will also provide statistical data and information on individual countries and specific projects, with information accessible by a keyword search. The project is a part of a larger initiative of the UN's five regional commissions called 'Knowledge networks through ICT access points for disadvantaged communities,' which aims to empower poor and disadvantaged communities, particularly women by converting selected e-Centres into global knowledge hubs to bolster communities' abilities to organize, share and disseminate knowledge.
e-Village programme underway in five provinces of Sri Lanka
The Secondary Education Modernisation Project (SEMP) of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Education along with the President's Office jointly implementing the e-Village programme in five provinces of the country.
The programme is aimed to empower rural communities by improving 'Information Technology' literacy rate, information sharing and creating employment opportunities. The e-Village programme was initiated under the Mahinda Chinthana concept of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and developing e-Villages was another fulfillment of the 2008 budget proposals. The first phase of the project was implemented in the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Western, Uva and Southern Province. In the second stage, community computer centres are planned to be established in addition to schools computer learning centres. The President has advised the Ministry of Education to initiate the e-Village concept in selected rural communities. So far, the SEMP of the Ministry of Education has established five projects in five villages.
Sri Lanka tests Internet based remote diagnosis system for crop diseases
Sri Lanka is setting up an Internet kiosk network in agrarian areas to help farmers identify crop diseases and find quicker remedies. Farmers can go to a cyber unit with a disease affected leaf and show it to an officer there who will in turn take a digital image of the leaf and e-mail it to officers of the Department of Agriculture. They will use the image to identify the disease and find possible remedies. Officials hope these units set up at rural agricultural information centres will help farmers find instant solutions to field level problems such as pests and diseases. According to the agriculture ministry, 46 such units have already been established and more will be set up in all agrarian development centres island wide.
Nokia Siemens Introduces Village Connection Internet Kiosk
Nokia Siemens Networks has announced the introduction of an Internet Kiosk for its Village Connection offering. This will bring voice, SMS and Internet access to rural locations where Internet and mobile communication are scarce. The Internet Kiosk will allow villagers to connect and access online information as well as provide them with an opportunity to improve their livelihood. With Village Connection Internet Kiosk, entrepreneurs can tutor villagers on how to use the Internet to access relevant information. Village entrepreneurs can run these local networks. In turn, local networks support full connectivity to the operator’s main network.
Contact Name: Vignesh
566 people have read this article
NEW DELHI
