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From Antigua, an example of a telcom leading an initiative to increase Internet usage amongst students. Digicel, in partnership with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, announced details of a new initiative which will deliver broadband internet service for free to communities and schools across the twin-island nation.
A Blueprint for the “Technology for Communication, Education and Empowerment” initiative which will provide free broadband connectivity via WiFi access to 3,000 homes and 5,000 secondary school children is provided:
... to provide community computer access centres in 12 secondary schools, which will include the physical infrastructure as well as the furniture and air-conditioning. Each of these community access centres will accommodate at least 20 students.
Minister of Information, Broadcasting, Telecommunications, Science and Technology Dr Edmond Mansoor said that, “in building a truly Intelligent Nation, the Government is working towards ensuring that every home and every office is equipped with a personal computer and high-speed Internet.”
In our part of the world, such initiatives will play a crucial role in exposing the large segments of the community to using broadband Internet. Such an initiative is invited and welcomed here in the Pacific. We hope to see Digicel embark on such an initiative in the near future.
18 years ago, Brett Glass — an electrical engineer, inventor, and technology columnist — established LARIAT, the first terrestrial wireless Internet service provider (WISP), in Laramie, Wyoming. What’s it like to roll up your sleeves and roll out high speed connectivity to underserved and unserved areas with, literally, one’s bare hands? What are the logistics? What are the challenges? In this talk, Brett explores these questions and others.
He makes it clear that pricing backhaul capacity at $300/MBps is the point where telecoms can begin to offer low-cost $30 a month unlimited usage accounts to their retail customers. In the Pacific, this is the point we should set our targets on and should be a key benchmark for measuring the success of liberalisation efforts.
The May 2010 edition of Islands Business features an opinion piece written by me. I wanted to thank Laisa Taga, Editor at Islands Business, for including my writings in the region’s most important magazine. It means a great deal for me to be a part of this publication. I am trying to put together a series of articles for inclusion in upcoming editions of the magazine.
The piece is intended to inform policymakers and industry stakeholders of the importance of working concertedly toward lower telecommunication costs as well as thoughts and reflections on how other countries in the world are dealing with the fast pace of change in the industry.
You can read the full text after the jump.
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