INFORMATION SERVICE NETWORK IN REMOTE RURAL AREAS: PROMOTION OF MOBILE CYBER METHODS AND USER FRIENDLY MODALITIES
It is generally believed that telecentres functioning in rural areas possess the potential to reduce the urban-rural digital divide. However, telecentres; have their own constraints. To operate such telecentre, the place should have sizeable level of threshold population as also certain minimum level of infrastructure. Therefore, these centres have in built conceptual limitations in providing ICT related services to nook and corners of rural areas.In this context, Mobile Cyber Methods (MCM) and user-friendly modalities, can play a more purposeful role. In terms of augmenting level of ICTs accessibility to rural masses in remote areas (expected to culminate ultimately into bridging the digital divide), MCM have the potential to perform a very significant role. MCM can be broadly classified into (I) Computer on Wheels (ii) Mobile Inter Units and (iii) Others. In terms of userfriendly modalities, developing softwares specific to the rural needs is quite vital e.g. Rural Hisaab (Accounting for Rural Business), Rural Bazaar (Marketing of Rural Produce) etc. Facilities such as touch screen operations, self-explaining icons on the screen, voice recognition, softwares in local languages, dialogue with computer in local languages reflect on the other dimensions of userfriendliness.Experiments on MCM and their evaluations show a mixed trend in success. The failures, however, are not account of any conceptual confusion about MCM and their relevance but owing to inadequate efforts and loopholes in planning and execution. Limitations arising from availability of power being effectively tackled through providing mobile cyber units with alternate sources of energy and wireless connectivity. However, and connectivity areattempts to cajole, convince and mobilise rural folks towards ICT facilities were found to be absent.In order to make MCM effective instrument certain prerequisites are considered to be essential. MCM and related issues could be made a part of national ICT policy. Role of the Government and also other partners such as privte companies, NGOs, Cooperatives, etc. should be clearly spelt out and must be demarcated well. As regards involvement of the villagers, a judicious mixof top down and bottom up approach will be inevitable. Positive attitude and active association of mobile cyber unit and its activity is also an essential feature.
Digital Divide and Mobile ICT Facilities Mobile Cyber Methods Computer on Wheels Mobile Internet Units
D P Khankhoje
National Institute of Bank Management, NIBM Post Office, Kondhwe Khurd, Pune 411 048, India
国际会议
北京
英文
548-558
2005-10-14（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）