by Kenji Saga Research Fellow: Communication Research Laboratory

1. Key Issues for the Successful Implementation of ICT Projects-A Case Study on Rural Tele-centers- by Kenji Saga Research Fellow: Communication Research Laboratory Chair man: the Digital Divide Study Group Japan Society of Information and Communication Research 5 February,2004 APT Regional Forum for ICT Experts in South-East Asia Jakarta, Indonesia

2. IT Revolution: Expectations & Concerns • New technology will expand human power • Key issue:to overcome defects and to foster merits • IT is a driving force of “New Economy” • IT is bringing the “Digital Divide” • IT is increasing vulnerability and security issues • IT is creating “Digital Opportunities” • Promotion of inter-cultural communication and inter-cultural understanding • Creation of new business, lifestyle and culture

3. Policy Recommendations byInternational Organizations in the year 2000 • the Report of the United Nation’s High-level Panel of • Experts （May） • b) the Action Plan of the World Economic Forum (July) • c) “The Okinawa IT Charter” and establishment of Dot Force • by G8 Okinawa Summit (July) • d) “Learning to Bridge the Digital Divide” by OECD (August) • e) Chairman's Statement of the Third ASEM Meeting (October) • f) the Tokyo Declaration and Action Plan adopted at • the Asia-Pacific Summit on Information Society • organized by the APT (November) • g) “The e-ASEAN Framework Agreement” signed by • the ASEAN Leaders (November)

4. India IT Action Plan – IT for All by 2008 Indonesia ICT Policy Framework, 5 year Action Plans Japan e-Japan Strategy II Korea e-Korea Vision 2006 Nepal IT Policy 2000 Philippines e-Philippines: ITECC Strategic Roadmap 2003 Singapore Infocomm 21 Master Plan Thailand IT2010 National IT Strategies in Asia Pacific Region

5. Comparison of each National IT Strategy

6. Case Study: National ICT Strategy in Indonesia A p p l i c a t i o n s International and Regional ICT Agreements E-Government ICT IndustryPromotion E-Commerce Human Capacity Building Infrastructure

7. European Internet N. American Internet Internet African Internet S. American Internet China Japan Asian Internet Viet Nam Oceania & Pacific Islands Malaysia Indonesia Singapore Korea Thailand Cambodia Lao South Asia Myanmar Infrastructure – Internet Backbone and IX IPv6

8. Digital Divide Factors • Disparity between; • Developed country and developing country • Urban area and rural/remote area • Differences caused by; • Income • Education and job training • Race • Gender • Age • Disabilities

9. Bridging the Digital DivideOkinawa Charter on Global Information Society • Internet Access for All • Universal provision of Internet access at an affordable rate • Development of information infrastructure to rural/remote areas world wide • Internet access to aged and disabled people • Facilitation of R&D for barrier-free facilities • Promotion of school, SMEs and SOHO online • Provision of educational opportunities for non-educated people

10. Japan’s Policy for Assistance to Bridge the Digital Divide Japan has been seeking the solution to the global digital divide focusing on 4 fields: -the formulation of ICT policy and institution building, -the human resources development, -the ICT infrastructure building, and -the promotion of ICT utilization in implementing development assistance Japan has issued “Asia Broadband Program”

11. Asia Broadband ProgramNew Initiative by Government of Japan • Promotion of broadband Infrastructure in Asia • Facilitation of joint R&D for the introduction of new technology (IPv6 and Internet Satellite) • Promotion of use of broadband • E-Government • E-Learning • E-Health and other tele-applications • Development of local language contents • Promotion of human capacity building

12. Efforts of ITU for the Development of Telecom Infra since World War II • International cooperation under the new world order based on equal partnership “UN Charter” • Policy recommendation by “The Missing Link” and the establishment of the WTDC and the ITU-D • Entering the new stage of ‘Universal Service” • From “Universal Telephone Service” to “Universal Access” • Outcome of New Possibility: World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2003 and 2005

13. Most Important Problem to be Solved- Development of Rural Infrastructure - • Disparity of domestic information infrastructure is larger in developing countries than developed. • Huge amount of investment is needed. • No attraction for private sector investors because of luck of commercial sustainability. • There is no simple solution to this problem. • Needs of various solutions to meet local needs • However, ITU has been focusing on this issue: • Development of Multi-purpose Community Tele-centre (MCT) is one of the solutions.

14. Why Tele-center ? • Without communication infrastructure, we cannot transform the Digital Divide into Digital Opportunity in rural and remote areas of developing countries. • The most cost effective solution in rural area is to share necessary facilities at tele-centers. • We have various experiences of building tele-centers world wide. • In many APT member countries, tele-center projects have been undertaken as one of the e-Government Initiatives and become a hot topic in this Forum.

15. What is Tele-center? • Tele-centers are public facilities that offer shared access to ICT. • They are public places where people can use computers, the Internet, and other media; get training; and often obtain a variety of other communication-related services. (Roman and Colle, 2001) • In reality, tele-centers are full of varieties. • Establishment and sustainable operation of tele-centers are becoming a important policy target to bridge the Digital Divide in rural and underserved/unserved areas of developing countries.

16. Tele-center projects in Asia Pacific • Multi-purpose Community Telecenters (MCT: Thailand, Vietnam, Mongolia, etc.) • Tambon Net (Thailand) • Yap SEED (Yap states, FSM) • People First Net (PFnet: Solomon Island) • Community Tele-service Center (CTC: Indonesia) • Tele-cultural Centers (Vietnam), etc. • Tele-center (VSAT+Wi-Fi+VoIP) project (Nepal)

17. Roles of the Multi-purpose Community Tele-centerIndonesian Case (CTC & Warnet) • To realize grass roots access to global Information through the Internet • To promote the sale of local products through the Internet and e-Commerce • To attract investors to villages by ensuring global access from rural areas • To educate people and to enrich living standards through tele-education, tele-medicine and other applications

18. Various Solutions for Rural Information Infrastructure: Keyword is “Wireless” • Grass-root development of telecom network using micro-credit and GSM technology in Bangladesh • Development of telecom network using PHS technology in Cambodia and China • Nepal’s Strategy for rural telecom network using HF radio systems • Philippines’ experience using WLL technology • Pilot projects for the development of MCT in many countries using wireless technology

19. Selection of Network Technologyfor the design of rural MCTs- Global Trend to be Considered - • The transition from analogue networks to digital networks • From public switched networks to IP based networks • Explosion of non PC access to the Internet • Mobile subscribers are exceeding fixed subscribers • The variety of new technologies and applications in designing user-oriented MCTs such as barrier free and maintenance free facilities • Wireless LAN technology such as WiFi will reduce the cost of “last one mile” access remarkably.

20. Advantages of Wireless LAN for rural information infrastructure • Economic efficiency Low cost in establishment and operation • Easy to set-up and use • No radio interference in rural areas in developing countries (Higher power allows longer reach) • Stuff education in short term (Not more than amateur radio systems)

21. Examples Using Wi-Fi Technology • India: Digital Gangetic Plan: Media Lab Asia <http://www.iitk.ck.in/mladgp/> • Lao: Remote IT Village: Jhai Foundation <http://www.jhai.org/jhai_remoteIT.html/> • Japan: Wireless LAN (CFO-SS 10A): APT/KDDI <http://www.kddi.com./english/> • Micronesia: Yap SEED project • Nepal: Rural Digital Library: Wireless IP Solution (Looking for funding support)

22. Policy RecommendationEstablishment of Common Spectrum Policy • In order to facilitate grass-roots development of rural information Infrastructure using W-LAN technology, I would like to recommend a common policy for all APT member countries to intruduce non-licensing scheme for 2.4GHz and 5GHz band. • In addition, I would like to ask APT to organize a workshop on W-LAN system for the enhancement of information sharing and exchange of success stories. • Wireless LAN system is becoming a key technology to solve “last one mile” issue in reducing the cost and realizing broadband access.

23. Myths (misconceptions) Build it and they will come… One size fits all. Rural demand is very limited. High costs are unavoidable. A carrier of last resort is the best model. Infrastructure is all you need. Realities It is necessary but not sufficient for development. It should be customized. If well designed & managed , various needs exist. Innovative technologies are reducing costs significantly. Bidding schemes introduced. Training, applications and... Rural Tele-centers: Myths and Realitiesby Dr. H. E. Hudson

24. Key Issues for the Success of Rural Tele-centers Policy Recommendations (1)by Kenji Saga at Telecom 99 • Powerful leadership with careful management • Participation of rural people from initial stage • Collection of sufficient information at specific site • Identification of needs from initial stage and design step by step development of service provision • Small investment and low operational cost at initial stage for commercial operation, and expandable system design to meet increasing needs, and • Development of human resources and participation of rural people in operation (establish partnership with NGOs)

27. Lessons Learned from Yap SEED experience • Students are a great resource, and they are only limited by the tools and hardware you give them, BUT…. • Most teachers are threatened by the abilities of the students which make them feel they have lost control. • Teachers need to know “It’s OK” if the students know more than they do about the computers… It’s not a loss of control. (Lessons learned from Yap SEED project by James Stevenson)

28. New Realities　　 • High school students produced multimedia CD-ROMs for kids in the elementary schools showing the differences in Yapese cultures. • Kids of all ages take to technology like fish to water. • A mix of good educational practices and technologies will increase students’ interest, which in turn increases learning. (Lessons learned from Yap SEED project by James Stevenson)

29. Key Issues for the Success of ICT Projects Policy Recommendations (2) • Four additional success factors • Strategic approach by government (and/or local governments/communities) • Access is essential, but if possible, Broadband access to meet growing and multi-media needs • Information sharing on success factors and factors hindering progress • Establishment of new partnership between Government, Business and Academia

31. Case Study 3: Strategic approachNepal strategy to 3G mobile technology • Nepal government has recently selected CDMA 2000 1x technology to develop rural WLL (wireless local loop). • This technology will be used both for fixed (FWA) and mobile terminals. • CDMA 2000 1x technology are utilized successfully in Japan and Korea for 3G mobile services (available for multi-media applications). (CDMA 2000 1x users have exceeded 10 million in Japan) • Adoption of CDMA 2000 1x for rural WLL will realize 3G technology transfer to Nepal and ensure smooth transition from 2G to 3G for Nepal in future.

32. Case Study 4: WHY Broadband? • Most important problem to be solved is “Broadband at Affordable Rates.” by President of PCC and Yap MCC - Present status of international connectivity- • Shared access to the Internet through 128kbps from 100 computers at Palau Community College (PCC) • Shared access to Internet through 64kbps from 20 computers at Yap Campus of Micronesia Community College (MCC)

33. High speed download High cost? Reduction of cost by competition and innovative technology Multimedia Full use of applications E-Learning E-Health E-Commerce E-Government Low speed and take time Low cost? But depend on deregulation, competition and new technology Text centric Limited use of applications “However, narrowband telecenter should not be ignored” Wideband vs Narrowband

34. Narrowband should not be ignoredbecause • There are many remote, isolated and depopulated island and mountain areas in the Asia Pacific. • It is essential to have access to information in order to bridge the digital divide. • In some cases, broadband will become too expensive under present situation. • There are some examples of best practice: Solomon Island PFnet and mountain areas in Nepal using HF radio systems.

35. Case Study 5: PFnetWhat is Solomon Island People First Net • PFnet is an NGO-Government partnership established through the UNDP project. • Tested model for sustainable, community-owned rural access • Web site portal with rich content • Facilitated networking for: • Distance learning • Agriculture and fisheries development • Indigenous business development • Rural vocational training （ｂｙ　ＵＮＤＰ）

36. Success Factorsby UNDP (Lessons from Solomon Islands PFnet) • Participation of communities • Holistic approach (training and capacity building) • Small but many (many sites with basic access initially) • Popular applications (opportunities school push-outs: location in community schools) • Support from development community

37. Factors Hindering Progressby UNDP(lessons from Solomon Island PFnet, 2003) • Core operations only sustainable after scaling up • Unavailability of finance for scaling up • Lack of national ICT strategy • Need for more coordination on ICT • High cost of IT • Lack of IT capacity, right awareness • Lack of credit for rural enterprises • Uncertain legal situation for the Internet Source: http://www.peoplefirst.net.sb

38. There are still problems to be solved • How to realize sustainable operations for rural tele-centers ? • How to implement cost-effective long distance global internet access lines from rural and remote areas of developing countries ? Does WINDS Satellite become a solution? • How to train local community people to be able to utilize ICT technology and how to update their ability to catch up rapid progress of IT technology? • How to realize strategic alliance between government, business, academia and NGO?

39. Conclusion: New Challenge Closing the Digital Divide as a common objective based on : • Equal partnership • Shared ownership, and • Mutual respect. New initiative of international cooperation should be encouraged. Benefits of IT for all ! Thank you for your attention