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

[Dean Mulozi]

Dear all, 
Following the discussion with a lot interest. Mobile phones provide value to existence of telecenters. Mobile phones are one of the ICT tools that should be part of Telecenters technology package. And therefore, it will be important to innovate telecenter services with mobile phone services. Mobile phones could be owned and used by communities who belong to telecenters. 

What is important is to link the mobile phone services to telkecenters. There could be realy an added value to telecenter sevirces if mobile phones are linked to the objective of telecentres.  

For example, issues where there is no connectivity and communication access, telecenters could relate services to that of mobile phones, 

Let me pause here, and let us keep the dicussion moving........
 
Dean Mulozi,   
ZAA-ICT/SATNET Regional Facilitator,   
Private Bag 195x Ridgeway,   
Lusaka,   
Zambia.

Contact Phone:   260 211 234 627 
Mobile:                  260 978 034196
 


--- On Tue, 11/18/08, Ndaula Sulah <ndaulasula at ugabytes.org> wrote:

> From: Ndaula Sulah <ndaulasula at ugabytes.org>
> Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] [uwci-ct] Rural communication: Is there still a need for telecentres now that there are mobile phones?
> To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 3:08 AM
> Dear Readers,
> 
> We say in my mother's style of speech "Omunttu ssi
> ente" meaning "a human
> being is not a cow", he never mooes in the same style
> or sound. He changes
> frequently, in talk, sight, walk, ... And so are the
> problems he accounters.
> Mobile technology promises a technology that is as mobile
> as human beings;
> building on communication, the centre of development. With
> this it posses as
> one of the icons driving this era we live especially if
> Francis Baccoa's
> thoughts make sense here. He notes chicken dung drives the
> economy for every
> moment; in the 1500 - 1600, he asserts, it was the campus,
> Gun powder and
> printing <Polly shared the story with me when in Lusaka
> early this year>.
> The chicken dung has two communication parts; campus and
> printing. And the
> campus was mobile, so can one deduce the chicken dung
> driving our time is
> the mobile phone!!! Secondly will mobile phony replace the
> thinking of
> telecentres!!! Uhmmm...;)
> 
> 
> For the time I have lived, I have found out that
> costructive thinking builds
> on constructive thinking. This forced others to think that
> reality is built
> on fiction. And then  follows, W. Chan Kim and Renee
> Mauborgne (both
> Professors of Strategy and international mgt) assertion
> that today's
> bussiness is a re-organization of the old or what is
> already existing
> untapped in our environment, in their book the "Blue
> Ocean Strategy". But is
> it itself a construct grounded by the scientific principle
> of "energy can
> neither be created or destroyed". Gaining from the
> above preposition
> requires socialization and simplified specialized
> resources. While the
> mobile phony provides simplicity it's socialization
> levels may not have
> reached the leveling that can terminate telecentres. At
> least not in the
> next 10 years under conditions that mobile phony is working
> on socialization
> possibilties and telecentres are watching on - enjoying the
> activities.
> 
> Simplicity makes me worry though. Telecentres have not
> communicated simple.
> But the mobile phony is every day and is building from this
> simplicity to
> complex. As a learmer of development communication, it was
> always emphasized
> by my teacher, Ass. Prof Semaana; take it from simple to
> complex or design
> it from simple to complex... mobile technologists heard it
> and practice it
> thus their technology enlightment efforts are lower,
> telecentres are yet to
> draw the leaf active. This angle means mobile phony can
> easily be the
> chicken dung that replaced telecentres while we promote
> telecentres through
> the window of diversity of services, content and technology
> enlightment. The
> urgument here is relative growth for each in terms of
> users, services,
> infrastructure and innovations that go cheaper within a
> short gestation
> period everyday. Ofcourse public libraries have not gone
> brink with the
> introduction of internet, but how many of the new
> innovations seat on the
> old. Those which have survived innovate with innovators at
> relatively equal
> rate.
> 
> 
> Sandra, Sarah and Meddie bring out many angles of
> telecentre contributions
> for which telecentres must survive the chicken dung. I do
> not like to repeat
> any. But they don't sound exclusive to telecentres. And
> in fact mobile phony
> promises a stylish penetration in those areas than
> today's offerings of a
> telecentre. And at an increasing rate of penetration. Take
> for example the
> idea of lasting solution for ICT4D access vs
> sustainability. The single
> factor is what costs cheaper, what cost cheaper to serve
> life cycle costs,
> what has a good plan for passing over the costs to the
> re-buyer and what has
> increasing rates of innovations for cheaper services,
> infrastructure...?
> Whatever takes the more yes, it promises the kick out of
> business for the
> other or atleast in the niches if they work in the same
> area.  Patero when
> he was finding the 80/20 principle, he did not think it
> would shape the way
> individuals and groups think. But it is. It is much more
> than Marx's
> capitalism. And for telecentres we need to find the 20%
> aspects that
> distinguish us upto 80% from others including, in
> today's discussion the
> mobile phony.
> 
> Lastly my leisure time fovourite writer (one of), Jack
> Canified noted in his
> book "Success Principal: How to get from where you are
> to where you want to
> be", that to share you have to own. Many other writers
> relate owning as a
> natural prerequisite of sharing or giving. I agree too. And
> I extend it
> though further. It is also a prerequisite for
> appropriation; appropriation
> of technology. Mobile phony promised personal ownership and
> management of
> technology. For long this remained a problem in telecentres
> with community
> ownership stamped vague. But as mobile phony provides this
> answer the
> community appreciation of the telecentres is bound to
> increase especially as
> the telecentres sharpen the 80/20 focus. Ofcourse making
> telecentres more
> relevant. But this may not be saying that superownership
> mobile phony gives
> to individual will not remain it's cutting edge of its
> higher appropriation
> than that given by telecentres.
> 
> But by now the world is excited about the Obama election,
> here in Uganda
> it's making my president like a mayor!!! Isn't the
> mobile phony excitement
> alike to us in telecentres? Let me take it from Andrew
> Mwenda, the Managing
> Editor of "The Independent" - Uganda's
> monthly magazine. He notes in this
> month issue, in the article  "If Americas don't
> change Obama, he will", that
> the institution of the Americas presidency will not offer
> Obama the
> achievement the world expects him. Not at least any
> different from what
> president Clinton, Bush or McCain would. Simple he is
> president elect for
> America not the world, he notes. But the proof that odds
> are beatable.
> Raising above social limitations. Taking a leaf from the
> fallen heroes like
> Malcom X, even though not their failures, is what Mr. Oboma
> will. And yes
> under his "Yes we can" flag. But will he seat
> down and things happen; no if
> he does that soon he will pass unnoticed. He must act the
> inspiration he has
> brought in the world. So are the telecentres. But first let
> us identify the
> 80/20 focus and let us keep it changing to the focus better
> everyday. The
> mobile phony provides the lessons of simplicity. Let us act
> simple in
> services and within life requirements of an individual or
> else telecentres
> remain the sat on technology.
> 
> 
> Best Regards,
> ---
> Sulah
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 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
> >
> >
> > --
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> 
> 
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