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iREACH: lessons from a community owned ICT network in Cambodia.
Abstract
Cambodia is for various reasons a challenging environment for ICT development. This did not deter
IDRC (Canada) from funding an ambitious and ground-breaking project designed ultimately to influence
ICT policy in Cambodia but initially to establish two pilot community-owned networks in poor
rural areas. Each comprises both a cluster of local telecentres (10 in each area), and a mini telecoms
enterprise run by the communities. Begun in May 2006, with initial funding of USD1.3 million the project
runs to May 2010 when the question of sustainability comes to the fore. Additional support is likely to be
needed. iREACH’ experiences are being fully documented and lessons are emerging around community
capacity building and empowerment; technical challenges in a rural environment; developing relevant
and appropriate services; creating a community based enterprise; deploying a range of participatory
monitoring and evaluation approaches; and working within a centralised and fluid political context.
With the growing reach of mobile telephony, an inquiry into how information and communications technologies (ICTs) affect the livelihoods of the poor may seem unnecessary in the second decade of the twenty-first century. People all over the world, and especially in the developing world, are now “voting with their wallets” and paying to adopt mobile telecommunications technology in their business, personal and educational lives. When the “Information and Communications Technologies for Development” (ICT4D) program at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) was first introduced in 2000, mobile phones were far from being the “everywhere” technology they have since become. Like the Internet, mobile phones in the developing world were – and, in some cases, still are – prestige technologies available only at a premium price. What role could they possibly have in helping peasant farmers and micro-entrepreneurs make more money and develop more productive enterprises? This chapter continues the discussion in the earlier chapter on ICTs and poverty, but focuses more squarely on the role of ICTs as tools of productivity for farmers and small entrepreneurs. Applied research within the ICT4D program at IDRC understood that social policy programs were a necessary, but not necessarily sufficient tool for lowering levels of poverty in a country over the long term. Other complementary approaches, such as building economic opportunities for the poor in targeted and focused ways, were equally important, especially in a developing country's poverty reduction strategies. © 2013 International Development Research Centre. All Right Reserved.
Globalization presents opportunities and challenges for developing regions such as sub-Saharan Africa as they seek to improve their levels of socioeconomic development. Processes of globalization increasingly depend upon information and communication technologies (ICTs), and these normally need modifications to fit local contexts. This requires that processes that affect interactions between global, regional, and local levels need to be understood. It appears reasonable to conjecture that understanding the roles or effects of socioeconomic and cultural factors (among others) would lead to more effective ICT policies for sustainable development at regional and local levels. Drawing on Sen's capability theory of human development, a modified version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is presented, and validated by analyzing survey data gathered in two sub-Saharan African countries, although no claim is made as to the model's generalizability. Some diagnostics and prescriptions for how to effect sustainable technology adoption and development across the region to enhance human capabilities are then presented. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Over the past two decades, market reforms in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector have served as a powerful engine for infrastructure investments and service expansion in developing nations. More people have gained access to ICT services since market reforms started in the early 1990s than in the many decades that preceded these reforms. The economic and social benefits have been manifold. As the telephone, the Internet, and even older ICT such as broad- casting became more accessible and generally more affordable, more people began using them to access new markets and be more productive, to seek better health- care, to take advantage of lifelong educational opportunities, to strengthen family and community bonds, and to demand better services and more accountability from their governments.
Nonetheless there continue to be large numbers of people and communities without adequate access to ICT in the developing world. This book examines the different dimensions of this problem from the vantage point of the experience in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) as tools to enhance the development of rural and remote regions remains largely undetermined. The component technologies are designed as commercial tools for industrialized settings and the fact that they have potential for rural and remote community development worldwide is an add-on. The role and impact of the new technology is so vast that a multidisciplinary approach is needed to appreciate it. There are a growing number of tools and diagrams in the literature to capture the multiple dimensions of ICTs, and they all seem to fall short of capturing their very essence. In other words there is a need for a new epistemology to guide this process. This paper provides elements for that epistemology from the field of natural resource management (NRM). The fields of natural resource management and information and communication technology for rural development share several features: they involve multiple dimensions and technical disciplines, multiple stakeholders are involved, a seemingly endless number of variables and indicators need attention, and there is increasing unpredictability and complexity. Four pillars are proposed towards a new epistemology to understand ICTs as tools for rural and remote community development: acknowledging diversity in paradigms; embracing pluralism; embracing a systems approach; and emphasizing learning and participation. The paper describes ongoing action research with attention to stakeholder engagement in planning, tracking impact, and creating local capacities.
The currently influential model for information and communi- cation technologies for development (ICT4D) is based on increasing the well-being of the poor through market-based solutions, by us- ing low-cost but advanced technologies. Using ethnographic meth- ods, we chart out the contradictions that could arise when such ad evelopment-through-entrepreneurship model is implemented. We examine the Akshaya project, a franchise of computer-service kiosks in Kerala, India, which strives simultaneously for social development through access to computers and financial viability through cost recovery and entrepreneurship. We show that ten- sions within the state and among entrepreneurs and perceptions of public versus private among consumers make it challenging to meet the twin goals of commercial profitability and social development. 10 15 20
ICT networks and services are not effectively reaching the poor, particularly those living in rural areas. Public subsidies for traditional operators to cover the difference between tariffs and cost-recovery levels have proved limited in addressing this continuing gap. This article explores the role that could be played by a largely unnoticed set of actors we call microtelcos¿small-scale telecom operators that combine local entrepreneurship, innovative business models, and low-cost technologies to offer ICT services in areas of little interest to traditional operators. Through a series of case studies from Latin America, we document how microtelcos combine organizational and informational advantages that allow them to service the poor effectively and with limited access to public subsidies. In fact, we show that they have done so despite a less than favorable regulatory environment. The article examines the case for microtelcos as an effective alternative to address the ICT needs of the poor and suggests how existing regulatory obstacles may be removed so that microtelcos could be more effectively harnessed to bridge continuing access gaps
Often funding agencies and donor governments face the question should they support ICT activities in their development projects. Should the money be invested in computers and communication devices or will it be better spent on food, shelter, health, and education? The choice need not be 'either or'. If used intelligently and innovatively, ICTs can form an integral component of development projects, as is shown by the award-winning Information Village project of M S Swaminathan Research Foundation. The important point to remember is that one does not have to use technology because it is there, but one
uses it if there is a genuine advantage. In any development programme, people and their contexts should decide how one goes about implementing development interventions. The needs of the people and the best means to satisfy them should determine the whole programme. Often ICT-based development projects do not bring in the expected results because of undue emphasis placed on technology. Against this background, the factors that led to the success of the Pondicherry experience are analysed.
Technological innovation and the decreasing costs of wireless and other technologies, combined with progressive policy and regulatory environments, have resulted in the provision of telecommunication services in remote areas thought unserviceable by incumbent telcos in Latin America, Central Europe, and Asia. In line with the increasing number of success stories in other parts of the world, the South African government, as part of the policy of "managed liberalization" of the telecommunications sector, lifted the monopoly provision of telephone services in under-serviced areas by permitting smaller-scale entrants into the telecommunications market.Emerging from the second round of telecommunications policy reform in 2001, following the initial reforms to the sector in 1996, it was anticipated that these special operators would be licensed in 2002. Although licenses were finally granted following several licensing delays in June 2004 to seven applicants (three conditionally) from the ten areas demarcated in the first round, further delays in the final issuing of these licenses meant these licensees were only able to become operational in 2005.With the Ministry of Communications' latest policy directives on further liberalization of the market, which allows for some of the services previously reserved for Under-Serviced Area Licensees (USALs) to be more widely available from February 2005, just prior to the underserviced area licensees coming on stream, the window of opportunity for these small-scale new entrants may have closed.This paper assesses the degree to which policy and regulatory conditions promote the viability of these operators and facilitate their evolution as business and developmental models. Drawing on international experience, the policy and regulatory framework for these licenses is assessed.-super-2 The paper focuses specifically on other jurisdictions where similar regimes have been introduced as part of a national policy rather than on the wide range of pilot projects deploying innovative technologies that may provide low-cost solutionsbut which are not scaled up or formally implemented.-super-3 The key success factors in these jurisdictions are weighed in relation to the sustainability of the underserviced area operators (often referred to as regional or rural operators in other jurisdictions) under the conditions that exist in South Africa. Finally, it provides some lessons for other developing countries wishing to consider the South African experience. Copyright (c) 2005 Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
This article serves as a critique of an ICT in education reform in the nation of Cambodia. Although an ICT in education policy was adopted by the Cambodian Ministry of Education, tangible, quantifiable, and measured progress of this reform has, to date, been limited in nature. Hence, to understand the limitations of this reform, the author uses Kingdon's multiple streams model to investigate streams of policy, problems, and politics. This model allowed the author to explore existing data, events, and experiences in a robust manner. The current research is an analysis of policy papers, government documents, IGO briefs, personal experiences, and other nations' experiences with similar ICT in education reform movements. It was determined that failure to fully address the political stream has caused stress on the adoption process of this reform and has, in effect, slowed its progress. (c) 2008 by The Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Country Status Papers on Role of Information and communication Technologies (ICT) for Poverty Alleviation in SAARC Countries.
Often funding agencies and donor governments face the question should they support information and communication technology (ICT) activities in their development projects. Should the money be invested in computers and communication devices or will it be better spent on food, shelter, health and education? The choice need not be ‘either/or’. If used intelligently and innovatively, ICTs can form an integral component of developmental projects, as is shown by the award-winning Information Village project of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. The important point to remember is that one does not have to use technology because it is there, but one uses it if there is a genuine advantage. In any developmental programme, people and their contexts should decide how one goes about implementing developmental interventions. The needs of the people and the best means to satisfy them should determine the whole programme. Often ICT-based developmental projects do not bring in the expected results because of undue emphasis placed on technology. Against this background, the factors that led to the success of the Pondicherry experience are analysed.
ICT has potential to make significant inroads in a traditional agrarian economy like India. Indian agro-sector has been exploiting the benefits to ICT. Innovative ICT application platforms are being created by private sector players in conjunction with local farmers. One such private initiative has been by ITC Ltd in the state of Madhya Pradesh. It has helped the farmers in many ways, such as developing of local leadership, shared ownership of the assets created in this initiative, access to the latest knowledge for the agro-sector, sustainable income levels and skill development for productivity improvement. This initiative from ITC(1) has become a benchmark today in the ICT initiatives in agro -sector. Several best practices can be learned from this initiative, namely: ease of replicability and scalability customization to meet the specific local needs and organizational commitment. The success of e-choupal has heralded a new era in the Indian agro-sector. The work needs to be carried forward and replicated in the other untapped areas. Creating business channels that can create a win -win situation both business and farming community has enormous economies of scope. Once a channel is created it could be used for many products and services as shown in this case study. The main reasons for the success of the platform have been the involvement of local farmers and maintenance of the rural IT network by the corporate entity.
T elecommunications companies, entrepre-neurs, and policymakers have regarded rural and poor markets with some combination of too-complex-to-serve and not-interesting-enough (politically or economically) to be worthy of sustained attention. But times, and technologies, have changed, leaving what have been perceived as backwaters poised to become significant growth areas in the next decades. Stakeholders are beginning to recognize the political and economic significance of the more than half of the world's popu-lation that lives in largely untapped rural markets. Governments and nongovernmental organizations are increasingly concerned with addressing economic development goals and stability, stubborn deficits in rural health and learning, urban migration, environmental degradation, and other related trends. The private sector craves new consumers, producers, ideas, and synergies in our rapidly globalizing environment. What most have yet to understand, however, are the tremendous opportu-nities to address these challenges through new information and information communication technologies (ICTs). Increasingly powerful, flexible, and economical, ICTs present staggering new opportunities for social and economic integration. Achieving the promise of ICTs does not require sacrifice on the part of busi-ness, government, or civil society, but it does demand their vision, cooperation, and action to create the environment and mechanisms necessary for ICTs to flourish in the rural areas of the developing world. One force necessary, albeit insufficient, for the establishment of pervasive and sustainable readiness for the Networked World, especially in developing and rural areas, is the market. It is commonly assumed that effective rural ICT access requires economic subsidy and financial loss; however, ICTs should be economically viable if they are to gain wide, robust, and long-lived usage. While the path to realizing such economics will vary across countries, settings, cultures, and technologies, we consider one critical issue: Internet for rural regions of devel-oping nations. In researching and studying the economic self-sustainability of the Internet in rural areas (particularly in India), we have iden-tified some criteria for success, something of a laundry list. This list suggests that there are at least six broad categories,
Discusses the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for rural communities. Highlights the factors preventing rural communities from reaping the benefits of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and technological innovations to access them. Defines community information systems and lists selected successful models outside India. Despite the limitations in basic infrastructure and low-level penetration of information technology in India, more than 50 grassroots projects are using modern ICTs for the benefit of rural communities. Describes selected community projects in India. Also identifies the bottlenecks in, possible solutions for and observations of the initiatives of rural projects. Concludes that creating information-rich societies is a key element of poverty reduction and sustainable development. Community network centres can play a key role in meeting the socio-economic aspirations of rural communities by successfully addressing the “eight Cs” of success in the digital age: connectivity, content, community, commerce, capacity, culture, co-operation and capital.
NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) commissioned a panel of
U.S. experts to study the international status of satellite
communications systems and technology. The study covers emerging systems
concepts, applications, services, and the attendant technologies. The
panel members traveled to Europe, Japan, and Russia to gather
information firsthand. They visited 17 sites in Europe, 20 in Japan, and
4 in Russia. These included major manufacturers, government
organizations, service providers, and associated research and
development facilities. The panel's report was reviewed by the sites
visited, by the panel, and by representatives of U.S. industry. The
report details the information collected and compares it to U.S.
activities.
Eli M. Noam is Professor and Director, Center for Telecommunications and Information Studies, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University. He has been designated Commissioner on the public Service Commission of New York State.
The Rural Telecommunications System is not just a technological system but a complex system of people and technology interdependent on other systems/subsystems. Therefore, the issues involved in the deployment of rural telecommunications infrastructure, if all its stakeholders are to benefit, are not always technological, but are often complex and 'messy', cutting across various aspects of the rural society, especially in developing countries. Consequently, the planning of rural telecommunications infrastructure requires an approach that addresses such complexities. It is proposed that a systems thinking approach to the planning of rural telecommunications infrastructure will yield far more value than is possible from current approaches, for all of its stakeholders.
Creation of a countrywide network of tele-based information centres (or ‘tele-centres’) offers a low cost opportunity to empower local communities in developed and developing countries to meet the challenges of the information society. This paper presents a field study of how tele-centres in Ghana have contributed to universal access and discusses their potential impact on rural development.
The perception that privatization hurts the poor is growing and creating a backlash against the private provision of basic infrastructure services. At the same time, governments are finding themselves fiscally strapped, searching for ways to finance the large investments needed to expand services to the poor. In Latin America, a laboratory for privatization, evidence exists which sheds light on the privatization experience. This paper analyzes the channels through which the poor might either lose or gain from privatization, examines the evidence accumulated on what has actually happened, and then discusses the policy options available to decision-makers who want to increase efficiency while at the same time dealing with the infrastructure needs of the poor that have been identified as being important for their welfare. In that context, the issue of whether welfare considerations should form part of the regulatory approach to privatized services is examined. The paper's major aims are to shed light on the issue of who can and does benefit from privatization of utilities, and to guide policy-makers in the choices.
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