Message-ID: <Pine.3.07.9503231236.A4453-f100000@solar.rtd.utk.edu> Date: Thu, 23 Mar 1995 12:47:36 -0500 From: Tak Utsumi <mailto:utsumi@SOLAR.RTD.UTK.EDU> Subject: Part 1 of 3 on follow-up of GTU project by ITU To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L
March 22, 1995 <<23:11:02>>Dear Electronic Colleagues:
(1) A few weeks ago, I distributed the announcement of a project to establish a Global Telecommunication University (GTU) by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland.
(2) In this and following two msgs, I am sending you its follow-up materials which Mr. Johan Ernberg of the ITU kindly sent to me.
Community Telecentres program in Part 1 is similar to the goal of our Global University project including distance education in broader context, rather than only for telecom field of GTU.
Their approach in Part 2 is also similar to our GU project, particularly its Consortium for the Advancement of Affordable Distance Education (CAADE), as emphasizing the use of Internet.
Johan: In my following msgs, I am sending you the materials about CAADE for your reference. Its proposed technology may be applicable to start your No. 9 and 12 programs inexpensively.
I am sorry to decline your invitation to attend your mtgs in Geneva on March 15th and in Ethiopia in April -- I have been very busy in writing grant applications for the CAADE.
Part 3 may particularly be interesting to those people who are working on the African connection.
(3) Pls feel free to directly contact Mr. Johan Ernberg of the ITU, if you have any questions.
Best, Tak **************************************** PART 1 OF 3 ON THE FOLLOW-UP OF GTU BY ITU
Date: Mon, 06 Mar 1995 17:34:10 +0100 (CET) From: ERNBERG <mailto:JOHAN.ERNBERG@itu.ch> Subject: ITU programmes To: Takeshi Utsumi <mailto:utsumi@columbia.edu>
Tak, Thank you for spreading the information about our proposal for a Global Telecommunication University which certainly is very much inspired by you. Therefore I think you are to be congratulated much more than myself for progress made. In fact I am not sure I have made any significant progress. The success of our programmes will depend very much on the cooperation offered by others, including the private sector and your initiative to disseminate the call for partners is of course very useful to this end. We hope to have a better idea of what can be done after our Development Partners' meeting here in Geneva on 15 March when we will discuss the Buenos Aires Action Plan (BAAP) Programmes with potential partners.
Please let me know if you would like to have an invitation to participate in
that meeting (followed by hopefully more useful informal discussions on 16 and 17 March with the Focal Points (FPs) for the various programmes) and I will see what I can do.
I am presently the FP for two of the programmes (which are all mutually supportive and inter-dependent), i.e., Programme No. 9 - Integrated Rural Development and Programme No. 12 - Development of Telematics and Computer Networks
I can't remember if I sent you descriptions of these programmes so I send one of P9 in this message and of the P12 in another. There is scope for cooperation in distance learning on any subject or vocation in programme No. 9 which aims at supporting community development in general as well as in P12 (in contrast to the GTU which, as you may have noted, essentially targets the telecom operators needs for training (management and technical)).
Best regards
Johan Ernberg ITU/BDT
Here is a description of the BAAP Programme No. 9 if you haven't seen it before. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Programme 9 : Integrated Rural Development
1. JUSTIFICATION
1.1 Problems to be addressed:
All Telecommunication Development Conferences have recognized the vital need to expand telecommunications to rural and remote areas in developing countries, where often more than 80% of the population live outside the cities. The crucial importance of integrated rural development for sustainable development is also recognized in many other fora and emphasized in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, adopted in 1992 by the UNCED1.
"Integrated Rural Development" (IRD) covers all human activities in the rural environment and is based on the concerted development of all sectors such as agriculture, education, transportation, health care, etc. Access to adequate telecommunication services in rural and remote areas is a key to the success of IRD programmes. An efficient telecommunication infrastructure in such areas will contribute to nationally balanced economic development and to eliminating or reducing the huge imbalance between rural and urban populations in terms of living conditions, education and other social services.
The long term goal should be to provide "universal access" to telecommunications and whenever rural entrepreneurs can afford it, they should be provided with the telecommunication services they need. However, this needs to be complemented with Public Call Offices (PCOs) to give access to less wealthy people. When more advanced Telematics2 services are required, for example, for tele-training, tele-medicine and tele-working, the most realistic and cost-effective way of providing such services is by means of a shared facility, a "Community Telecentre". Such Community Telecentres, located at strategic places, would be equipped with the necessary terminal
equipment and IT tools and should provide the support needed by the villagers to make adequate use of this equipment and services strategic locations. The proposed programme focuses on the development of Community Telecentres, supporting small and medium local enterprises (SMEs), tele-working, tele-training, public administration, remote access to health care (tele-medicine), etc., besides the traditional use of telephone. These could be complemented with individual lines and PCOs, as required. This is expected to contribute to economic development and generate demand for more telecommunication services in the participating communities, so the infrastructure should be planned so as to provide for flexibility and extension of the initial local network.
Concentrating telecommunication services to a focal point in the community will provide the modern information processing and communication facilities which will enhance the competitiveness of local enterprises and enable them to cooperate with similar enterprises in different locations. In a longer perspective the programme is also expected to contribute to improving the commercial viability for telecom services in rural and remote areas.
Such Community Telecentres could, for example, be located in post, or telegraph offices, where they can serve a population of some 1000 - 10,000. However, Community Telecentres alone would not bring about the desired development of small (micro) and medium enterprises. This programme must therefore be integrated into a much wider programme of sustainable community development, including the development of SMEs, education, health and other social services3. It is therefore of critical importance that the communities selected for participation also become involved in such coordinated efforts of integrated rural development.
The Question No. 4/2 of ITU-D Study Group 2 is relevant to this programme and so are the following Resolution and Recommendations adopted by the World Telecommunication Development Conference, WTDC, Buenos Aires, March 1994.
7 WTDC/94 Resolution No. 8 (Telecommunication Support for the Environment) 7 WTDC/94 Recommendations No. 1 (Application of Telecommunications to Health and Other Social Services) and 7 WTDC/94 Recommendation No. 2 (Development of Partnership with International Educational Agencies)
1.2 Situation by the end of the period :
A number of Community Telecentres and local networks will have been established in some countries in each developing region as part of concerted efforts of integrated rural development in these countries. An evaluation will have been made of cost and performance to the technologies used as well as of the socio-cultural-economic impact of this coordinated effort and, in particular, of the contribution of Community Telecentres to this development. Models for choice of organization and technology for Community Telecentres and local networks in rural and remote areas will be available.
Evaluation report and other studies made as part of this programme will be disseminated, inter alia, through Telecommunication Development Conferences and Study Groups organized by the BDT.
1.3 Programme beneficiaries: The population in the selected communities will improve their living standard
through creation of jobs, increased revenues of SMEs, improved education, health care and other social services. National telecommunication operators in the developing countries will benefit from the increase in traffic and revenue generated by the Community Telecentres. Developing countries will benefit from the experience gained in the pilot projects and have models readily available for introducing the concept of Community Telecentres in their plans for integrated rural development.
Telecommunication equipment and service providers (Satellite Communications, including VSAT, fixed and mobile cellular radiocommunication, fibre optics, submarine high capacity systems, etc.), in developed as well as developing countries will benefit, as the introduction of the Telecentres will contribute to developing the huge potential markets that the rural populations in developing countries represent. Also broadcasters and entertainment business have a stake in this development. The pilots will be used as demonstration and training sites and hence, provide opportunities for manufactures to test their products in a developing country environment and to market their products and services.
2. DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVE
In the long term, the goal is to improve access to telecommunications in rural and remote areas as well as in deprived urban areas by developing the necessary telecommunication infrastructure. A key component of this infrastructure would be 'Community Telecentres', serving 1000-10,000 inhabitants and equipped to offer telematic services and support, and public phone booths for all rural communities in developing and, where needed, in developed countries. This will be piloted during the next cycle (1995-1999) by the establishment of Community Telecentres in some 20 countries in developing regions, priority being given to the LDCs. The experience gained, including an evaluation of the Telecentres' contribution to sustainable development, will be disseminated to developing countries through the study groups, seminars, etc. Policy guidelines for integrated rural development will also be produced in conjunction with BAAP Programme No. 1. Recognizing the importance of trade and international cooperation, regional programmes will create the critical mass required to bring about and demonstrate the benefits of this concept which are so difficult to realize in isolated country programmes. Networking rural Community Telecentres, not only amongst themselves but also with telecommunication networks in developed countries, will contribute significantly to sustain this development (see also BAAP Programme No. 12 - Development of Telematics and Computer Networks).
3. MAIN ACTIVITIES
9.1 Development of appropriate national policies guidelines (refer to Programme No. 1)
Outputs/Indicators: Availability of policies and guidelines (GL)
Success criteria: Policies and guidelines for tariff and market access that reduce cost barrier for Community Telecentre participating in Programme No. 9 acceptance of Policies & Guidelines by Study Group (SG) 1
9.2 Coordination with other UN-agencies, identification of participating countries, communities and other partners
Outputs/Indicators: Partners Participating countries' level of commitment Preliminary Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with participating countries and partners
Success criteria: Programme becomes part of wider coordinated effort of IRD with credible partners Evidence of participating countries' commitment Preliminary Agreements and MOUs, established as required for the implementation of the programme
9.3 Planning of rural telecom networks and Community Telecentres, as required to support plans for IRD in selected communities in the participating countries (refer to Programme Nos. 3, 5 and 12).
Outputs/Indicators: Surveys of existing infrastructure and needs Rural telecom development plans and specifications for Telecentres
Success criteria: 7 "bankable" telecom development plans will support IRD plans in participating countries viable long term business plans for Telecentres
9.4 Implementation, provision of equipment and access to networks in participating Telecentres
Outputs/Indicators: Installed equipment Access to networks Agreements on tariffs during pilot projects
Success criteria: Equipment installed and working as required and planned Access to networks as required and planned Firm agreements with telecom service and equipment providers established as required for the implementation of the programme
9.5 Training or Telecentre staff and provide training needed by local individuals, SMEs, etc.
Indicators: Trained staff
Success criteria: At least 5 Telecentre staff members appointed and trained to handle equipment and software and to provide support to users as required in each participating Telecentre.
9.6 Evaluation of different technologies and the impact of Telecentres; promotion of the concept world-wide
Outputs/Indicators:
Evaluation report Information dissemination
Success criteria: Evaluation report describes cost-benefit of integrating Telecentres in IRD. Reports disseminated to all users. Evidence of other countries making appropriate use of evaluation report and models provided through pilots..
4. POTENTIAL PARTNERS AND COORDINATION ARRANGEMENTS
Satellite and radiocommunication equipment and service providers are potential partners in the pilot projects which will contribute to developing their markets. Other stakeholders in industrialized countries include the suppliers of fibre optic systems, solar power supplies, VSAT systems, mobile earth stations, communication terminals and other low-cost, dust-, and heat-resistant communication equipment for rural telecommunications, as well as providers of IT equipment (computers, Multimedia, etc.) required in the Community Telecentres. Broadcasters and entertainment business would also benefit insofar as Community Telecentres offer a shared facility for reception of broadcast and, for example, video-on-demand.
Cooperation with bilateral cooperation agencies, other UN-agencies involved in IRD, such as FAO, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNEP, UPU, WHO, WMO, WTO and the World Bank and the Regional Development Banks is an essential condition for this programme to achieve its long term goals (Community Telecentres and Telematics are complements to basic telecommunications and only means to achieve development goals, so from the perspective of other organizations this programme may be considered as one contribution among many others).
The concept of Community Telecentres, has for some time been successfully tried out in rural areas of Europe, North America, Japan and Australia which have many characteristics in common with developing countries. National, Community Telecentre associations and CTSC International (which has assisted Brazil and other countries) may also be partners in a global programme for further development of such centres. Other partners are non-governmental organizations, foundations and associations involved in community development, tele-working, tele-training, tele-health care, and, not least, in the development and delivery of distance learning resources, e.g., the Commonwealth of Learning, the consortia participating in the European Union 4th Framework RDT Programmes for Telematics for Education and Training, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada, the US "Global University" and other similar initiatives developed in Australia and Japan.
Contributions to this programme can be made in kind, for example by providing:
7 specialists for participation in the planning of networks, studies of appropriate rural telecommunication technologies, specification for equipment, etc.; 7 telecommunication services free or at reduced tariffs during pilot projects; 7 equipment for Community Telecentres4 (communication terminals, computers and multimedia hardware), on loan or as grants.
or in cash by providing funds for fellowships, consultants, translation of documents, etc.
This programme may be part of a larger effort, involving several organizations and the coordination arrangements will have to be developed in consultation with these organizations and other partners. The PSP Department of the BDT, in close consultation with the Regional Divisions at HQ and the Regional offices in the field, will act as a focal point for the ITU. This programme must be closely coordinated with Programmes No. 1 (Policies, etc.), No. 2 (HRM/HRD), No. 5 (Network planning), and No. 12 (Development of Telematics and Computer Networks).
1 UNCED = United Nations Conference on Environment and Development which produced Agenda 21. 2 Telematics is here defined as the combination of telecommunication and information technology. 3 Coordinated, for example by the Inter-Agency Committee for Sustainable Development (IACSD). 4 The total cost of basic equipment for the Telecentres to be established in the pilot projects is estimated at between US$ 2 and 4 million (depending on the number of centres in each country). Communication costs would need to be offered at special tariffs during the pilot projects. It is hoped that these costs will be covered by in-kind contributions from equipment and service suppliers participating in the project. ********************************************************************** * Takeshi Utsumi, Ph.D. * * Laureate of Lord Perry Award for Excellence in Distance Education * * President, Global University in the U.S.A. (GU/USA) * * A Divisional Activity of GLOSAS/USA * * (GLObal Systems Analysis and Simulation Association in the U.S.A.) * * 43-23 Colden Street, Flushing, NY 11355-3998, U.S.A. * * Tel: 718-939-0928; Fax: 718-939-0656 (day time only--prefer email) * * INTERNET: mailto:utsumi@columbia.edu; Tax Exempt ID: 11-2999676 * **********************************************************************