[wsfii-discuss] Fw: public demand for information technology

Thu Sep 21 13:32:08 UTC 2006

-----Original Message-----
From: wsfii-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org
[mailto:wsfii-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org] On Behalf Of Jo Walsh
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 6:40 AM
To: wsfii-discuss at lists.okfn.org
Subject: [wsfii-discuss] Fw: public demand for information technology

food for thought on telephony in resource-scarce societies...

----- Forwarded message from Kragen Javier Sitaker <kragen at pobox.com> -----

From: Kragen Javier Sitaker <kragen at pobox.com>
To: kragen-tol at canonical.org
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2006 03:37:01 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: public demand for information technology

Usually, when I talk to USA citizens about information technology that
the rest of the world can use, I run into some variant of the "walk
before you run" argument.  People wonder what good information
technology is to a goatherd, or a taxi driver, or a subsistence
farmer.

<snip>

So it seems that there's a lot of demand around here for communication
services.  Cell phone service is more expensive than in the States ---
30 to 60 cents per minute, usually --- as is phone-booth service.
Cell phones cost $37 and up.  People have less money, too.  An
engineer friend at an architectural firm in Quito makes $300 a month;
an acquaintance working retail at a computer store in Riobamba makes
$150.  The newspaper claims 10% of the urban population makes less
than $1 a day.

In every place we visited in Ecuador, wireless networks were nearly
nonexistent --- we found them only in universities and US-style
shopping malls.  In Peru, all of the first three hotels we stayed in
had open wireless internet access provided by a generous neighbor,
although the fourth doesn't seem to.

So, while a USAn might think that computers, cell phones, and internet
access and cell phones are pointless luxuries to people who struggle
to buy enough rice to survive, the Ecuadorean and Peruvian populations
seem to disagree.
-------------------------------------

You bet! I think that the Killer-Ap technology for the less developed world
will be Voice Internet Services - VOIP. Which unlicensed wireless (no fee
between radios) and  public protocols like Skype or SIP can support.

For everyone on the planet, whether read/write (much less computer) literate
or not, can communicate (talk) on a telephone. 

Humans want to communicate with others. Near and far. Which leads to
everything else. Period. End of debate.

Dave Hughes
dave at oldcolo.com

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