[UgaBYTES] Rural communication: Is there still a needfortelecentres now that there are mobile phones?

Tue Nov 18 17:17:01 GMT 2008

ps: both those interviews were done on a nokia n95, Reuters choice for
Mobile Journalism
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/feb/11/digitalmedia.photography

>From MobileActive08 SangoNet supported groups of people, students from their
citizen journalism programme (http://www.citizenjournalismafrica.org/), in
uploading pictures and images direct from phones to the web, over a wifi
network. Of course at home I download and edit the videos a little and then
upload them. An example, perhaps, of a simple service that telecentres can
offer.

pete 

Pete Cranston
skype: petecranston
mobile: +44 (0)7917 390133 

-----Original Message-----
From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
[mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Pete Cranston
Sent: 18 November 2008 17:03
To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] Rural communication: Is there still a
needfortelecentres now that there are mobile phones?

hi
Dean Molozi and I were both at MobileActive08. I asked Dean for his ideas on
the the links between the two in this video clip:
http://blip.tv/file/1481364 

I agree with what he says, about the intermediary role of telecentres in a
mixed ICT economy. Jan Moolman, from SangoNet provides another example in
the second half of this video clip about mobiles and knowledge sharing (we
were talking about an ICCO project we are both working on):
http://blip.tv/file/1377449

I think, as with most things, it isn't either or but how both can feed from
each other, and that telecentres are well placed to open up new roles that
involve mixing the two.

Cheers

Pete

Pete Cranston
skype: petecranston
mobile: +44 (0)7917 390133 

-----Original Message-----
From: ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org
[mailto:ugabytes-bounces at lists.ugabytes.org] On Behalf Of Sarah mpagi
Sent: 18 November 2008 09:58
To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] Rural communication: Is there still a need
fortelecentres now that there are mobile phones?

The discussions coming up are very interesting. Some of us who still think
that telecentres are still the most convenient spaces people go to to access
the services, IT inclusive and those who think that mobile phones are soon
swapping away telecentres. However, the spaces provided like Meddie said are
very important if those mobile phones are to be used for community
development purposes. We would like to know your say on the subject.

Best,
Sarah Mpagi

On 11/18/08, Ahmed Ndaula <andaula at ugabytes.org> wrote:
> Absolutely agree with Polly. Telecentres and mobile phones are 
> complementary. From the experiment I have had over the last couple of 
> days, if you have got a good phone with 3G for instance Nokia N70, N95 
> etc, you can have a fair access to the internet similar to the speed 
> of some internet cafes in the country. This brought me to think that 
> if mobile phone companies could adopt a fair monthly fee to those 
> interested just using the normal sim card I think would be great. And 
> for a telecentre in rural areas with say 3-4 computers this could 
> somehow help than thinking of a VSAT. I know it's not the best speed 
> but
could work for them.
>
> Here's what I experimented;
>
> Have a Nokia N70 using my normal Uganda Telecom sim card connected to 
> my laptop via a bluetooth adapter, I make a dial up Network and my 
> laptop gets connected to the internet with a 115kpbs speed. I shared 
> my connectivity with my friend's laptop via a created Local Area 
> Network and we are all able to surf the internet very well. It becomes
faster in the evenning.
>
> Best,
> Ahmed
>
> On Tue, Nov 18, 2008 at 10:43 AM, Polly Gaster <polly.gaster at uem.mz>
wrote:
>
>> Yes, in our view telecentres and mobile phones are complementary. For 
>> instance, at this moment some telecentres that had no connectivity 
>> are now online via mobile phone modems and infrastructures, for the 
>> cost of a modem and ordinary pay-as-you-go phone cards - good 
>> synergy, don't you think?
>> Polly
>>
>> ----
>>
>> Polly Gaster
>> TICs para Desenvolvimento/ICT4D
>> Centro de Informatica da Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (CIUEM) Campus 
>> Universitario, Maputo, Mozambique
>> e-mail: polly.gaster at uem.mz
>> cel: +258-82-3264540
>> tel/fax: +258-21-485779
>> Skype: polly_gaster
>>
>>
>> --
>> This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by 
>> MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> ugabytes mailing list
>> ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
>> http://lists.ugabytes.org/mailman/listinfo/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.or
>> g
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Ndaula Ahmed
> Program officer,
> Technology management
> UgaBYTES Initiative
> Plot 2218 Ggaba Road, Kabalagala
> 2nd Floor, Kangave House
> P.O. Box 6081 Kampala, Uganda
> Mobl: +256 773 066 343 / 702 066 343
> Off: +256-414-267247
> Check our web: www.ugabytes.org
> http://www.ahmedpanel.com
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Together we can strengthen the telecentre movement. Have you used the 
> online
> support-centre: http://www.ugabytes.org/supportcentre today?
> You can get help on any issue or review questions and answers by 
> telecentre practitioners. This service is a joint initiative of 
> UgaBYTES Initiative, telecentre.org, IDRC, SDC and Microsoft
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--
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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