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

[Sandra Nassali]

Hi all, this study was conducted by APC, comparing the role of mobile phones and telecentres in fostering rural development.

It is noted that mobile phone towers dominate the landscape of many countries where decent internet access still remains a dream. The Economist argues 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 the new report commissioned by APC concludes that "This has left the development of ICTs in the hands of large, highly-centralized telecoms."

APCNews however 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.
MONTEVIDEO (Ian Howard for APCNews) argued that 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.

What is your take on this? Please share your views with us.

Sandra

[Mwandha Nasser]

Thank you sandra once again for your usual briliant insights that have made this site a very interesting one. I entirely agree with you and indeed Ian Howard as stated in your discussion has a point. Telecentres and mobile phones may be playing similar roles but I believe they are more of complementary roles that either of them remain important with ICTs playing a more vital role than the mobile phone in development. Relate this to food and water in life.

I rest my case for now and leave the rest to the other members.

[DR. SYED MD. ZAINUL ABEDIN]

This is an intersting debate.Thanks Sandra for introducing an exciting issue for discussion.I agree with Mr. Mwandha that these technologies are complementary.But I am of view that the mobile phone can be a device of small scale internet to serve immediate limited purpose.But it can't replace the internet based on pc or laptop.
Let the discussion roll on with the blessing of learned members.
Good luck.
Zainul

[Shehzaad Shams]

Dear Sandra,
The goalposts of technology keep on changing very often and the mobile phone technology is surely heading for a convergence of internet and radio based technologies. I fully agere with Mr. Abedin that the technologies cannot be mutually exclusive, while assessing the impact of this technology, it would be wiser to formulate a combined approach.

For example, while we might be arguing about the impact of mobile based telephony, WiMAX technology has also started to appear in the horizon with new potentials of outreach and efficiency. So it is too early to single out any particular technology.

[Sandra Nassali]

Hi Shams, thank you for your contribution. It's true that technologies can not be mutually exclusive. Much as mobile phones are gaining popularity, they can not foster community development as good as telecentres do.

On the other hand, telecentres need wireless technologies in places where internet access still remains a dream. All compliment each other.

Sandra

[FELICIAN NCHEYE]

From the discusssions I gather that most people lack knowledge of what Multipurpose community telecentres are doing. Mobile phone contribute a very small percentage of the important information needed by the communities, particularly, in the rural areas.

I advise people to visit Sengerema Telecentre particularly to get practicaly what is the contribution of a telecentre in relation to mobile phones. At Sengerema telecentre they will find the plans a foot to enable the community fully enjoy advatnges of ICTS. Unless we don't know what is happening, mobile phone services is just part of the telecentre activities.

[Vikas Kanungo]

Dear Sandra

You have raised a very pertinent issue. Many of the ICTD practitioners are beginning to accept that the role of mobile and wireless technologies have the transformative potential to mainstream the marginalised into ICT. MObiles in most of the cases is the first interaction of rural communities with any ICT device.

I personally feel that there is an urgent need to start the initiatives on researching how mobile technologies and new media can integrate with present telecentre models to extend the reach of the same to the doorstep of telecentre users. Many innovative models using mobile devices for delivery of information and public services to the rural citizens (mobile government ) have already started in many countries and are showing exceptional results.

I would like to invite the members of he forum to communicate information regarding such initiatives so that a centralised repository may be created for the benefit of telecentre practitioners.

Warm REgards
Vikas Kanungo
Skoch Development Foundation

[Sandra Nassali]

Hi all, am thank full for your contributions to this discussion. This was submitted by Dean Mulozi in my in box. Thought it would be wise to share it with you since it is kind of related to this discussion.
Trial Satellite payphones to support telecoms market response in rural Zambia

A trial project to support development of rural communications through satellite payphone networks is being impelemented in rural Zambia. The trial that is scheduled to last for three months shall test access and community respones to remote rural communtities and viability for communication agencies to provide rural telephone services to sparsely population remote communitities in Zambia.

To provide an alternative, Connect Africa has teamed up with satellite telephone providers, Iridium Satellite and Thuraya and local Zambian ICT NGOs, ZAA-ICT to test a series of payphones and Public Calling Offices (PCOs) in central Zambia. In an initial trial in eight rural areas currently managed by the Zambian Wildlife Authority, Connect Africa and ZAA-ICT is monitoring the activity and the demand for information and communication services. This project follows the successful test of two Iridium public phones near Zambia ’s Kafue National Park .
To provide the necessary support, teams of trained technicians, working in specially equipped vans, routinely visit each payphone or PCO and their operators. The technicians monitor, assess and service the equipment and provide any assistance the local operator requires. They are also responsible for the cash management of the phones and handle microfinance and moneygram transactions for the farmers and other people in the region.

Sandra

[Francis Mwathi]

It is interesting that some one can state that with the growing popularity of mobile phones, Telecentres should be scraped. One thing we have understand is that Telecentres too have revolved and are now more important than ever before. Telecentres now have libraries, radios and offer possibility for community members meet physically. Yes the impact of phones cannot be ignored but it should not over rule the impact telecentres too have. Many people still use phones for its basic function-making and receiving calls-especially in rural areas. telecentres among other function now have localised content and not forgetting that it has a special way of bonding community members across all ages and sexes.

Just a few years ago, a similar debate came up regarding the future of telecentre with emergence of Cyber Cafes. The fact is telecentres are unique in that they first and for most seek to help the community and issues like profits come second. This make them second to none and hence their popularity with community members

[Vikas Kanungo]

IN the light of ongoing discussion, I would like to point out that the debate is not about whether the telecentres should be scrapped and replaced with mobile based solutions but about how telecentres can leverage the transformative potential that the mobile / wireless technologies offer to extend their reach.

IN the discussions in the past, there have been extreme and passionate views from the hardcore telecentre advocates that mobiles can not replace the telecentres because of their unique nature. While I fully agree with the views, it will not be logical not to explore the potential of mobie devices to extend the reach of telecentres and make them available 24/7. The similar arguements were offered when by the e-Government practitioners when the discussion regarding the mobile government had started. The fact today is that many country governments are actively devicing their mobile government strategies.

I would like to emphasise that the Telecentre 2.0 movement is about expanding the scope and scale of telecentres and making them suastainable; and mobile technologies present themselves as a great opportunity. THe need is to look at Telecentre 2.0 as a holistic model. The comments from the members are welcome.

Vikas Kanungo

[Sandra Nassali]

Hello Vikas, though a hard core telecentre supporter :-), i partially agree with what you are trying to bring out in this discussion. Telecentres and mobile phones can play a complementary role.

However, though mobile phones are gaining too munch popularity today, we can not deny the fact that telecentres still remain the solution to many socio-economical problems faced in most rural areas today.

Mobile phones are an expensive venture for any ordinary person. Above all, the promote individual development, unlike telecentres that are there to promote development for the whole community.

In my opinion, i think mobile phones should jusat compliment other ICTs that are used to promote development by telecentres.

Sandra

[Niranjan Meegammana]

Mobile phones can not overtake telecenters !

Telecenters are both machine and human,a netnwork, serves invidual needs. Mobile phones yet help mostly verbal communications, expensive and delivers less content.

However telecenters need to innovate daily, to cope up with tecnology advancement insted of competition, partner with mobile phones, offer repairs and reloads, make a friend not a competitor.

[Christine Prefontaine]

Hi All -- Great discussion. I think the two are complementary. For me, the face-to-face aspect and the ability to hold someone's hand and be there to answer questions and allay fears will always make the telecentre an important place. I am a strong advocate for public spaces where people can get together to learn, share, work. Even though I have wireless at my home in Canada, I choose to work in a community-oriented co-working space just to have this contact. Not same as a telecentre -- but certainly you can see the parallels.

That said, I'm super enthusiastic about mobiles to keep me connected to people -- especially when combined with microblogging services, like Twitter or Identica. It creates a real-time support group.

@Vikas. I like your suggestion to share information regarding mobile initiatives so that a centralised repository may be created for the benefit of telecentre practitioners. I have a practical and easy suggestion on how to do this. We can create a group here within this site and agree on a common tag (say "telecentremobiles"). Then every time we find a resource we can tag it in Delicious.com, which will create an RSS feed that I can stream into the group page. Sound good? Let me know and I will set it up.