IP Connectivity in LDCs ITU, Geneva, April 11-12, 2002
Mixed Media in the LDCs Michael.Minges@itu.int
Index • The L factor • What is mixed • 3 snapshots:
media?
– Wireless wonder: Cambodia – Guns for radios: Niger – Small is beautiful: Cape Verde
• Conclusions
The L factor Major impediment to conventional Internet access in LDCs
• LDC—Least Developed Nations face special barriers • Lack of infrastructure—shortage of electricity, telephone lines and PCs to access the Internet • Low income—low incomes means that Internet access will not be affordable • Landlocked—raises costs of international Internet connectivity • Literacy—relatively low rates of literacy is a barrier to using a text-based medium such as the Internet • Languages—in many LDCs, Internet content in local languages is not widely available • ruraL—LDCs are predominantly rural and agricultural impacting both distribution and relevance of Internet information
Mixed Media Media-mixes are more effective than a single medium—Neil McKee
• Mass media: medium of communication (newspapers, radio, television, Internet) aimed at large numbers of people • Mixed media: combining various communication media to enhance the dissemination of information • Mixed media is an attractive way of spreading benefits of Internet in least developed countries
Media in LDCs “The radio will probably do more to bring information, education and social progress to … the developing world than any other device for a generation.” — The Times of London, 10 August 1995
Source: ITU.
Rural and community radio in Africa currently reach a far wider audience than the Internet or television. Photo: FAO / S.Oumar
Mixed Media in Action
Internet content downloaded to radio station
Content providers call radio station with information
Internet information broadcast over radio in local languages
Cellphone with radio
Cambodia • 11.4 million population • GNP per capita US$ 260 • 84% rural, 82% of population and 50% economy in agriculture • Main language Khmer (95%), 65% literacy
Cambodia Internet • Full connection in May 1997 • 6 Mbps in, 3.5 Mbps out of international connectivity (all satellite) • ~ 8’000 users (June 2001), 0.07% population
Wireless wonder • First nation where more mobiles than fixed • Mobile used to transmit pricing information in city markets • TMS2Mail and WEM • Wireless broadband
Niger • One of world’s poorest nations: GNI per capita US$180, 161/162 HDI • Landlocked • 79% rural; Agriculture: 39% of economy • 84% illiteracy • 20 languages in use Source: World Bank, Ethnologue
Niger Internet • Full connection to Internet in May 1997 via VSAT • 128 kbps international bandwidth • Nationwide dial-up number • ~12’000 users (0.1% of population)
Bankilare, Niger
The Bankilare Community Information Center was built in 1999 by community members with help from the Niger government, UNDP & SNV (Netherlands Agency). It houses a community radio station equipped with a WorldSpace receiver. The encircled object is a WorldSpace antenna enclosed in tea box for protection.
Radio broadcaster in the Bankilare Community Information Center. The center downloads programming from the Africa Learning Channel for rebroadcast. The CIC often translates the programs into the local language before rebroadcasting them.
Freeplay stories
Rwanda South Africa
Malawi
Small is beautiful? Internet & Population in LDCs
Higher Internet penetration
Smaller population
Cape Verde • 4th highest Internet penetration in LDCs (3% of population) • 434’812 population (2000 Census) • 55% homes have electricity • 53% urban, agriculture 12% of GDP • 2 languages, 74% literacy
Internet in Cape Verde • Pre-commercial launch: October 1996, commercial launch a year later • 1 Mbps international Internet connectivity • ~ 12’000 users (2.8% population)
Conclusions • Because of income, literacy and linguistic issues, mixed-media may be a more effective way of disseminating information on the Internet to LDCs • More small-scale, grass-roots, community-based projects are needed in LDCs • There appears to be relationship between the size of a nation and the level of Internet access suggesting that moves to decentralize in larger nations may yield higher rates of ICT use • What about Internet radio?
References • Bruce Girard. The Challenges of ICTs and Rural Radio. <www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6721e/x6721e16.htm# P5_1> • The Bankilare Experience: An Example of a Successful Collaborative Effort to Bridge the Digital Divide. <www.worldspace.org/related.html> • Andrew W. Shepherd. Farm Radio as a Medium for Market Information Dissemination. <www.fao.org/sd/2001/radio/papers.htm> • ITU. Cambodia, Cape Verde Internet Case Studies. <www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/cs>