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Internet Access for Poor Countries
Why worry about Internet access for poverty-stricken people in
developing countries? Because a large disparity in income causes
resentment, which may in turn lead to radicalism and to horrible
attacks, such as occurred in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania.
Enabling the poor to access the Internet may bring them information
to empower them to boost themselves out of poverty and become
confident, productive members of a healthy society.
At the same time that we help poor countries, we may also boost
our own suffering bottom lines.
To accomplish this goal, business people must change their basic
strategy. Instead of thinking of products with more features,
we should concentrate on more access. Several businesses have
already incorporated the switch. You may want to follow.
More Features vs. More Access
For the past couple of years I have been predicting that the
price of a computer would eventually be close to zero. All recent
events in computer technology suggest that this will happen.
Why does it not happen?
The answer is that computer manufacturers and software producers
are making sure it does not happen. How do they do this? By adding
"features". Periodically they make changes and add "features"
- most of them useless - in order to sell new "improved" products.
Of course, they need to charge you for all this extra "innovation".
This approach has worked for several "generations" of computers.
But I think we have reached a plateau. People are beginning to
realize that they do not use much of the power available from
Windows 95. Why should they buy a new XP version and spend endless
days trying to learn a new system? The rich market is saturated.
Why not turn our gaze away from the rich and focus it onto the
poor, of which there are billions. Help them gain Internet access.
For this to happen, we need to get rid of all the "features"
and produce a basic, simple device that enables a peasant in
a poor country to access and learn from people all over the world.
The device must be cheap.
The Simputer
India has a billion people, a vast majority of whom live in poverty.
Professors and entrepreneurs at the Institute of Science and
Encore Software, Ltd, both in Bangalore, have developed a device
that they call the
Simputer. The Simputer can be used by anyone,
even an illiterate person. It is pocket size. It may be used
to send and receive email and to browse the Internet. It costs
about $200.
To better serve the poor it has
> A Touch Screen - Locally recognized symbols and pictures
may be used to guide inputs by non-sophisticated people
> Text-to-Audio Synthesizer - No need for the user to be able
to read. The text is converted to sound and the messages are
spoken out loud
> Smart Card - Since $200 is too expensive for many, the smart
card has been added to enable several people to share one Simputer
Here are 2 examples of how the Simputer can empower the poor:
> Farmers - It enables them to check on current market prices
for their produce, thus placing them in a better bargaining position
> Health Care Workers - Those at remote locations can easily
look up medical information
The Simputer technology is available for licensing to individuals
and organizations in other poor countries, in addition to India.
For more information, see http://www.simputer.org.
Future Needs
The Simputer is a good beginning. However, there are 2 main problems
with it:
1 - Requires Telephone Line - In many poor countries this is
a big obstacle because of an unavailable, flawed, or expensive
telephone system. We need a way to use wireless to connect to
the Internet
2 - Too Expensive - At $200 it is too expensive. The smart
card helps. But we need a much cheaper device. I think a device
as good as Simputer, but with wireless access could be sold for
less than $50.
We need not confine ourselves to computers. Helping increase
Internet access may be a good philosophy to follow for other
products and services.
Let's use our imagination, not to build toys for the rich, but
to enable the world's poor to live a better life. This will bring
both political and economic dividends to us all.
About the Author
Paul -the soarING- Siegel is a provocative Internet speaker and
author of HELPFULNESS MARKETNG, an ebook stressing learning,
cooperation and community. Learn about it at http://www.learningfountain.com/.
Subscribe to newsletter, LearningFOUNT, by sending blank email
to: mailto:LearningFOUNT-subscribe@topica.com.
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