[UgaBYTES] [uwci-ct] Rural communication: Is there still a need for telecentres now that there are mobile phones?

Mon Nov 17 18:36:52 GMT 2008

Great points here: Sandra

One could also say that mobile phones are a new tool in telecentres. They should not be compared, in my view - because they are actually different in many respects.

While a telecentre is a infrastructure/space, mobile phones are tools. Definitely good discussion to have for me is how do we take advantage of opportunities possible with mobile phone like M-pesa ( Kenya) or WIZZIT (South Africa) where money is transferred using mobile phone.

Best, Meddie
________________________________________
From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org [ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Sandra Nassali [snassali at ugabytes.org]
Sent: November 14, 2008 5:19 AM
To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Cc: I-Network Uganda; Workspace for Uganda Women Caucus on ICT (UWCI)
Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] [uwci-ct] Rural communication: Is there still a need    for telecentres now that there are mobile phones?

I greatly agree with Sarah in reference to Sefunka's discussion.
Telecentres still remain the lasting solution to Internet for and the best
ICT4D in rural areas today.
Despite them gaining popularity, mobile phones are an expensive venture for
any ordinary African. Acquiring the service may not be hard since today
phones go for as low as 40.000/= but this does not rule out the fact that
costs of maintainance are very high.
Air time rates are very high, most rural areas do not have  access to
electricity and this leaves out a lot to be desired.

Telecentres are meant to foster socio-economic development from the grass
root levels and they have the community at heart, which is not the case with
mobile phones. They are individual assets and therefore cater for the needs
of one person, not for the community as a whole.

Above all, telecentres offer a wide range of services and the use of
telecommunications is just a pie for the whole cluster. They have community
outreach programs, they offer trainings in relation to communicaty needs,
offer access to the internet which bagges together print and all other forms
of electronic media. This cannot be done with the mobile phone. Look at
other foactors like e learning, tele working, e governance which are
promoted by telecentres around the world; they would never be well promoted
through the mobile phone.
Sandra
UgaBYTES Initiative.

On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 12:51 PM, Sarah mpagi <sarah at ugabytes.org> wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> Samuel Senfuka started a good discussion on mobile phones and telecentres.
> It was really surprising though that many of us kept silent about the
> discussion which could have highlighted rich ideas about the subject. I
> just
> have a few of my take on the subject and would like to hear from others as
> well...
>
> I would say yes; we still need telecentres even though mobile telephones
> have widely penetrated many rural areas. Mobile telephones offer only part
> of the services offered in telecentres. Telecentres have services ranging
> from access to available content, computer trainings, IT services which
> includes photocopying, faxing, telephone services, phone charging in case
> of
> rural areas where there is no electricity, library services e.t.c. All
> these
> services cannot be accessed through the mobile phones.
>
> Mobile phones pose many challenges to especially rural people. Not very
> many
> people know how to navigate through their mobile phones irrespective of
> just
> receiving communication and receiving and sending out messages. In most
> parts of rural communities, electricity is not easily accessible making it
> difficult for people who want to charge their phones walk long distances to
> the centres where the service is provided.
>
> Telecentres remain the most convenient places to go to because they provide
> numerous services to the communities. Although telecentres also have
> sustainability problems, they remain the only places rural communities have
> to access information and other services for improved livelihoods. Many
> telecentres even though they have no internet connectivity, through
> partnerships with other institutions they try to find useful information
> which is always pinned on their notice boards or walls for every user to
> take, sometimes they find a better way of disseminating such information to
> the communities.
>
>
>
> Cheers
> Sarah Mpagi
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Oct 29, 2008 at 9:05 AM, Senfuka Samuel <
> samuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org> wrote:
>
> > Dear members telecentre practioners and  all those interested in ICT4D,
> >
> > Here is an interesting study by APC on Mobile phones and other ICTs. I
> know
> > it will generate a lot of debate but it's a good read for you.
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > --
> > Senfuka Samuel
> > Program Officer
> > CEEWA-Uganda
> > P.O.Box 9063
> > Kampala-Uganda
> > Tel:+256-41-4269477/507
> > Fax:+256-41-4269469Email:samuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org<Fax%3A%2B256-41-4269469Email%3Asamuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org><
> Email%3Asamuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org<Email%253Asamuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org>
> >
> > Website:www.ceewauganda.orghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/ceewa-uganda
> >
> > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> > From: "APC" <webeditor at apc.org> <webeditor at apc.org>
> > To: samuel.senfuka at ceewauganda.org
> > Subject: [APCNews/Text] APCNews - October 28 2008 - Year IX Issue 90
> > Date: Oct 28, 2008 20:34
> >
> > ------------APCNEWS - OCTOBER 28 2008 - YEAR IX ISSUE 90------------
> >
> > ————————————
> > APCNews - October 28 2008 - Year IX Issue 90
> > The news service on ICTs for social justice and sustainable development
> > ————————————
> >
> > Mobile phone towers dominate the landscape of many countries where decent
> > internet access still remains a dream. The Economist is telling us that
> > mobile
> > is all that matters now and many donors have succumbed to this vision,
> > retreating en-masse from rural information and communication technology
> > development. The author of a new report commissioned by APC concludes
> that
> > "This
> > has left the development of ICTs in the hands of large,
> highly-centralised
> > telecoms." This edition, APCNews looks at the rationale behind getting
> > internet
> > into rural areas via wireless and not leaving it all to mobile, and
> reports
> > back
> > on real-life community efforts that have been taking internet access to
> > parts of
> > Latin America ignored by large companies. We also cover a tiny new
> > hand-held
> > computer that runs for hours and hours and hours…
> >
> > ————————————
> >
> > - NEWS -
> >
> > Rural communication: Is there still a need for telecentres now that there
> > are
> > mobile phones?
> >
> > MONTEVIDEO (Ian Howard for APCNews) - Following the initial rush of
> > information
> > and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) projects in rural
> > Africa,
> > many did not yield the anticipated outcomes, and interest has been dying
> > down.
> > People then began talking about "sustainable ICT" projects that would
> > become
> > self-sufficient after their initial set-up period. But with mobile phones
> > gaining in popularity, popular rhetoric has begun to question the need of
> > ICTs
> > beyond the mobile phone. While mobiles have had a great impact in rural
> > areas, a
> > new study by Ian Howard, commissioned by APC, argues that the need for
> > telecentres and affordable internet connections exists, as such centres
> > cater to
> > rural and niche markets the way larger companies cannot.
> > [http://www.apc.org/en/node/7178/]
> >
> > Read Howard's study
> > [http://www.apc.org/en/node/7237/]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > To post a message, write to: UWCI-ct at wougnet.org
> > UWCI-CT information page and archives:
> > http://lists.wougnet.org/mailman/listinfo/uwci-ct
> > Information about WOUGNET: http://www.wougnet.org
> > UWCI-ct is hosted on Kabissa - Space for change in Africa
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Nalwoga Sarah Mpagi
> Program Officer
> Knowledge Management & Research
> UgaBYTES Initiative
> Plot 2218 Ggaba Road, Kabalagala
> 2nd Floor, Kangave House
> P.O. Box 6081 Kampala, Uganda
> Mobl: +256 772 433 158
> Off:    +256 414 370 163
> Check our web: www.ugabytes.org
> skype: sarah.nalwoga.mpagi
> _______________________________________________
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>
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