* Eastern Nepal and Sri Lanka least-cost subsidy auctions* Innovating at the markets (Indonesian WiFi)* Indias universal service fund* Replicating Grameen Bangladesh* Demand-Side subsidies* Microeconomic assesments, etc* Focus on lack of backbone* Annual Sector and Regulatory Performance Indicators* Ongoing training programs* Web
A document manager is up. You can download and upload. Plus, any attachments sent to lirne@indi.ca should appear here. This is under construction.
Presentation by Harsha de Silva, CTO Forum 2004: ICT : Business and Development 20-21 September, Colombo, Sri Lanka The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization’s (CTO) second annual forum was held in Colombo this year, on September 20-21. Subtitled the biggest annual Commonwealth ICT event, participants included director-level delegations from member countries and representatives of its sector members. The aim of the event was to bring together ICT sector stakeholders and strengthen their ability to go on meeting the challenges of accelerating Universal Access, bridging the international, as well as urban-rural digital divides, and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. A great deal of emphasis was placed on the increased use of fixed and wireless broadband technologies, such as VSAT to achieve ICT4D objectives. In this context, the Govi Gnana Service, or GGS an innovative ICT solution to agricultural price volatility and resulting agricultural poverty in Sri Lanka was presented by Harsha de Silva of e-development labs.
People seem to be biting the New York Times pretty hard this week, so I’ve added a direct feed to Circuits in the sidebar, and one to WiFi News for good measure. These are just temporary since people seem to be talking about these topics. We can get feeds to most big news sources (Harsha). If you can find a RSS or XML button on any sites you like they can be syndicated. This, for example, is a Gizmodo Wireless feed below.
Should this be added to the debate? 65% of homes have electricity; more than the 25% with some form of telecom access. By TOM McNICHOL HIGH-speed Internet access usually comes to homes through one of two wires: a telephone line for D.S.L.
ACCESS TELECOM AND NEXTNET LAUNCH BANGLADESH’S FIRST 3.5 GHZ NLOS PLUG-AND-PLAY BROADBAND WIRELESS SERVICES – October 7, 2004 link
Today on the 26th of October, I had a fruitful discussion with one of the foundation partners of World Dialogue on Regulation, infoDev. I met with Mostafa Terrab, the head of infoDev, Kerry McNamara, Chief Knowledge Officer, and Samia Melhem, Senior Operations Officer. The notes of that discussion are attached. –Rohan Samarajiva LIRNEasiaINFODEVoct04.ppt
The article below from NYTimes.com has been sent to you by samarajiva AT lirne DOT net. By JOHN MARKOFF, SAN FRANCISCO, In an effort to create a global wireless alternative to cable and telephone Internet service, Intel said on Monday that it would collaborate with Clearwire, a wireless broadband company, in developing and deploying the new technology. The companies said that Intel would make a "significant” investment in Clearwire, which has begun building long-range wireless data networks around the world. Clearwire, founded by Craig O.
Buffalo’s, cronies, running dogs…. See their work at the Public Interest Program Unit. PIPU Progress Report 2002-2004 Annexes
Friday October 15 2004, 5.30pm, SLIDA premises, Colombo 7 1. WDR Expert Forum 2004 September’s WDR Expert Forum at Mount Lavinia was a success Next expert forum in Sri Lanka: Sept. 30 , Oct 1 and 2 [half day], 2005 Sector and Regulatory Performance Indicators: may be WDR theme for 2005/6; proposed workshop for this in early 2005 ? Pondicherry.
Today there was an odd ‘story’ on Sri Lankan television involving a few LIRNEasia staff. The segment opened with, inexplicably, a shot of a topless Ranil Wickremasinghe and 10 barechested men walking down a hall. It then cut to shots of him wearing (thankfully) suits, and getting out of limousines. The segment then listed millions of dollars spent on advisers and foreign consultants including: Rohan Samarajiva Lakshman Siriwardene Harsha de Silva I say ‘story’ in quotes because the piece concluded by saying this was in contrast to the ‘people friendly’ policies of the aptly named People’s Alliance – which sounds like a Sinclair Broadcasting version of news. It also makes no mention of the huge spending naturally inherent in a socialist leaning government, and the rising cost of living under the PA.
The most widely used ap on the Net is email, so rather than have people learn a new skill I’ve hooked this site up to email. The site only accepts emails from people it knows, so you have to Register (sorry to people who have to do it again, last time I promise!). Then just send a normal email. If you’re using Outlook please send the email as plain text.
DHAKA, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanet) — The global cell phone giants are eyeing Bangladesh as the potential market in Asia and planned for huge investment to capture it, operators said. Aminur Rahman, head of corporate affairs department of AkTel, aventure of Malaysian giant TM International Limited, told Xinhua Sunday that AKTel, which is already in the market but going slow, “has started the battle of wining the market.” “Our company wants to give a boost in the market share,” he added. Rahman said AKTel has launched a 30-day pre-paid card as a first step in it’s bid for clients hunt.
This serves, perhaps, as a response to the most recent comment: Almost all the efforts of elites like Prof Samarajeewa has been a farce. The rural -urban gap has widened as clearly indicative of offerings made in wireless Chamintha Thilakarathna (Reuters) Colombo, October 1 After 25 years selling fruit and vegetables at a market in downtown Colombo, Sri Lankan trader MW Ranjith made an investment that to his amazement transformed his life and his business — he bought a mobile phone. For years Ranjith, and thousands of traders and farmers like him, went without phones, discouraged by high land line charges and lengthy installation delays. But now a boom in the mobile telecoms market is pulling the informal sector into the economy and even influencing food prices. “Before I got the phone, if I ran out of vegetables I had no way of getting in touch with farmers,” said the 50-year-old trader, sitting with his phone in one hand and calculating his profits for the day with the other.
From Lanka Business Online: The World Bank late Tue approved US$ 53 mn to roll out the e-Sri Lanka project, which aims to bridge the digital divide in Sri Lanka. Rolled out through the Information Communication Technologies Agency (ICTA) over a five-year period starting Nov., the project aims to improve public service delivery, increase private sector competitiveness, promote new sources of growth, accelerate social development, bridge the digital divide, and support peace. ICT diffusion across the country will be the enabler for development throughout the key sectors of the economy. The funds will come through the International Development Association (IDA), the World Banks concessionary lending affiliate, with 40 years maturity and a ten-year grace period.
The service sector drives network economies and information societies. The foundation of this sector is the communication network. As such, modern network economies depend on effective reforms in telecom infrastructure to strengthen links among local, national, regional and international networks and markets. Professor William H. Melody Technical University of Denmark London School of Economics … in his presentation on public administration in an e-economy to the Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration.