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

Wed Nov 19 12:20:04 GMT 2008

The Answer to the question is absolutely YES.

Because; while still with UNIDO, we carried out a needs assessment in nearly all the district of Uganda an the use of ICTs including Mobiles and a solution was to have telecentres where we could have answers to every ICT question. be it computers, Mobiles, Internet, name it.

These telecentres are supposed to be multi-purpose centres where our respondents told us that they would be happy and willing to use ICTs if only they saw the same aces answer their communiction issues. A mobile having come 11 years ago in Uganda we have 5.7Millin mobile phone Subscribers and a computer that came 20 years ago we have 150,000 or so PCs in the country. We just need to merge the advantages of mobile phone Vs the disadvantages of computers and radios/TV as sister ICTs.

People too have to know the difference between Information Technologies and Communication technologies, and telecentres should be having capacity to handle both technologies. 

A very big point to note is: telecentres are  Business Information Solutions/Development centres. All the staff there give services like Business development advise, Customised Business Information Solutions, ICT tailored trainings, etc

So please the Answer is YES.
have good deliberations
 Mutaasa B.G. Humphrey 
P.o Box 9816 Kampala 
Uganda East Africa.
Tel:+256 772321736 

________________________________
From: "Koda-Traoré, A." <traore at cta.int>
To: "deanmulozi at yahoo.com" <deanmulozi at yahoo.com>; "ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org" <ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org>
Cc: "sihlongonyanedu at gov.sz" <sihlongonyanedu at gov.sz>; "arun.varma at ilfsets.com" <arun.varma at ilfsets.com>; "chiramwiwa at safire.co.zw" <chiramwiwa at safire.co.zw>; "sbok at gov.bw" <sbok at gov.bw>; Fa New <fanewman at gmail.com>; "leemuzala at yahoo.com" <leemuzala at yahoo.com>; Ruud <r.crul at infobridge.org>; Ebrain Ebrain <ebrain at dgroups.org>; "director at dope.org.zm" <director at dope.org.zm>; "chitelegton at yahoo.co.uk" <chitelegton at yahoo.co.uk>; "smazhani at botec.bw" <smazhani at botec.bw>
Sent: Wednesday, 19 November, 2008 14:02:26
Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] Rural communication: Is there still a need for telecentres now that there are mobile phones?

Dear all,

Allow me to quickly drop in the interesting discussions going on. In my humble opinion, we are talking about two different things: on one hand a tool, extremely useful and more and more used today in Africa (mobile phone) and on another hand a set of services, tools and approaches (telecentres).

Telecentres should be seen beyond simple ICT access and I do agree with the conclusion drawn by my friend Dean that  "Mobile phones and technologies can be and should be part of ICT tools within the telecenter communitities ..."

In other word, yes we need information access point in our villages, we need places where our communities can share their experiences and know-how with the rest of the world, we need places where our communities can promote their products to better access market (local, national and international)... Telcentres can contribute significantly to this objectives using whre appropriate mobile phones, Internet, radio etc.

Thank you

Koda
www.kodatraore.blogspot.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Dean Mulozi [mailto:deanmulozi at yahoo.com]
Sent: mercredi 19 novembre 2008 10:58
To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
Cc: polly.gaster at uem.mz; deanmulozi at yahoo.com; arun.varma at ilfsets.com; chitelegton at yahoo.co.uk; director at dope.org.zm; imtetwa at yahoo.com; 'Justin Mupinda'; leemuzala at yahoo.com; sbok at gov.bw; sihlongonyanedu at gov.sz; siyatele at workmail.co.za; smazhani at botec.bw; Phosiso Sola; Koda-Traoré, A.; mmayanja at idrc.ca; 'Ruud'; chiramwiwa at safire.co.zw; Fa New; Ebrain Ebrain
Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] Rural communication: Is there still a need for telecentres now that there are mobile phones?

Dear all,
With collegues from Southern Africa telecenter system, I am sure most of you are connected to Ugabytes and this discussion on rural communication: Is there still a need for telecentres and this discussion can be helpful for information sharing for development purposes: ...............................

There is a need to exhaust the discussion on the need for telecenters to interface and with mobile communications. A lot has been said on this subject. But I think that more should be done among telecenter managers and pratitioners to identify key areas on how mobile phones can be used and integrated within the spheres of telecenter communtities.

There was a lot of inputs from the mobile phone enthusiastics around the world at the October Mobile Active Conference in Johanneburg but not much on the use of mobile phone technolgies with Telecenters.
See my video clip with Pete Cranston while at Mobile Active Coneference in Johanburg...the the links between the two in this video clip: http://blip.tv/file/1481364

There are limitations on the use of mobile phones on their own without the involvement of telecenters:

1. Limitations on Cost and type of hand sets to access internet services:
It is a fact that many of our local users of mobile phones in African communtities cannot afford mobile handsets and technologies that access internet services such as 3G, GPRS etc. In my on spot survey, I recognise that most of the local people use type of handsets such as Nokia 1100 and other commonly types Siemens, motorora etc..... as they cannot afford costly mobile handsets.
A need to integrate mobile technologies and telecenter services is important as ICT tools within the telecenters can be used to access information services through internet connections.

2. Limitations on the data transfer and text messages
Commonly used Mobile phones can not transfer large amounts of data from mobile to mobile or to PCs. Telecenters can be effectively used with mobile phones in data and text tranffer services. Local communitites can benefit from this kind of inclusion and value and improve text messaging for development within telecenter communitities.

3. Literacy levels and mobile phones:
As most of the language used in mobile phones is English and text messages used come in the same language, telecenter supevsoiors can play a role to support individual mobile users in translations of text messages,

In a nut shell, Mobile phones and technologies can be and should be part of ICT tools within the telecenter communitities and can immensely facilitate and help support social and economic development in many rural communtities in Africa.

............. thank you

Dean Mulozi,
ZAA-ICT/SATNET Regional Facilitator,
Private Bag 195x Ridgeway,
Lusaka,
Zambia.

Mobile:    260 978 034196

--- On Tue, 11/18/08, Pete Cranston <pete.cranston at btinternet.com> wrote:

> From: Pete Cranston <pete.cranston at btinternet.com>
> Subject: Re: [UgaBYTES] Rural communication: Is there still a needfortelecentres now that there are mobile phones?
> To: ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2008, 9:17 AM
> 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
> >
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> > _______________________________________________
> > ugabytes mailing list
> > ugabytes at lists.ugabytes.org
> >
> http://lists.ugabytes.org/mailman/listinfo/ugabytes_lists.ugabytes.org
> >
>
>
> --
> 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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