US institute comes in aid to perk up internet access and online applications

Published in The Daily Star
Section: Star Tech
Wed. May 26, 2004

Tag team
reporting from Saad Bin Fazle Hammadi and Syed Tashfin Chowdhury

POOR Internet penetration in Bangladesh has finally started to draw a flock of

international Net experts into the country who feel it is about time they chipped in with their technical know-how and resource to help the resource-poor country reach internet access to the grassroots people.

Even in the fast-stirring era of information technology Bangladesh runs well short of technical solutions that otherwise could easily facilitate and save cost of infrastructure.

But there is at least some good news for Bangladesh.

The US-based Alexandria Research Institute (ARI) has taken an initiative to explore alternative 'last-mile' solutions, identify barriers to their implementation and keys to overcome these hurdles.

The ARI, apparently on a mission to get rid of such stumbling blocks that are holding back countries like Bangladesh, arranged a workshop on countrywide internet access and online applications. Virginia Tech, US National Science Foundation (NSF), BRAC University, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Job Opportunities and Business Support in association with United States Agency for International Development (JOBS-USAID), Grameen Cyber Society and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) co-sponsored it.

The three-day workshop that got off to a vibrant start on May 22 at the LGED Bhaban in Agargaon unleashed some thought-proving sessions spearheaded by experts from United States, Canada, Singapore, Thailand, Nepal, India and Bangladesh.

Chief guest Faruk Ahmed Siddiqi, secretary, ministry of post and telecommunications, and Professor Saifur Rahman, director, ARI and chairman of the workshop, attended the inaugural ceremony. Also present at the event were Larry Maramis, deputy resident representative, UNDP, McDonald C Homer, USAID, Ghulam Mohiuddin, project co-ordinator, Grameen Cyber Society and Sayeed Salam, associate professor, computer science and engineering, BRAC University.

Major themes of the workshop entailed expansion of countrywide internet use and international experience with broadband services. Bangladesh has been selected for the workshop considering its nationwide telecommunications backbone infrastructure, population density, the vibrant private sector looking for growth and state support for ICT.

Asked about the high cost of internet service, Prof Saifur Rahman told The Daily Star on the sidelines of the workshop, "Foreign experts have found that they could help in promoting internet access in Bangladesh. Our workshop aims to bring about a solution and inexpensive internet communication across the country. We will not deploy a technology unless it is going to prove useful for the country."

About ninety percent of Bangladeshis could be served by as few as twenty five towers with multiple base stations using WLL or 802.16 technologies, he said

Online applications along with internet access would create opportunities to deliver distance learning, health care, agricultural extension services and legal advice in Bangladesh, continued Prof Saifur.

In the overseas, internet access with DSL connectivity is available at $30 a month and the modem is served free of cost, but in Bangladesh the modem costs $1000 and monthly payment runs as high as $80, he said.

'Having internet access would only be useful if our citizens have the reasons to use it. This will also allow our research universities to study in collaboration with universities in other countries,' said Faruk A Siddiqi.

Technical sessions followed on the second day of the workshop and in the first session, Professor Larry Press of California State University, Dominguez Hills, USA presented the keynote speech.

Prof Press spoke about the 'Grand Challenge' project for achieving truly global connectivity by developing nations. "The time is ripe for an audacious project," he said, "Connecting every village in the rural developing world to the internet using a strategy is a huge challenge."

Sessions two and three dwelt on the international experience with broadband connectivity and the expansion of internet usage including electronic village. The examples used in the sessions were that of northeastern India, USA , North Africa and Iran.

Tarannum Dana, programme officer, Bangladesh Friendship Education Society (BFES), presented the ICT initiative of 'Amader Gram Total Development Project' in the third session. 'Amader Gram' is a model project of integrated rural development through capacity building of the disadvantaged people initiated by the BFES. "Our project is addressing the issue to improve quality of lives in rural areas of Bangladesh through our pilot intervention," said Dana.

The experiences of 'World Links in India and Beyond' were also shared with the participants in the session.

World Links connects youth around the world through a global learning network, which helps them develop skills in technology, entrepreneurship and collaboration. Teachers also learn to integrate technology into learning for improved educational results through the programme.

The last four sessions of the workshop were held on May 24. Sessions four and five deliberated on emerging technologies for internet access and the benefits of ICT toward knowledge delivery.

In her speech, Dr. Susanne Ornager of UNESCO, New Delhi, India, stressed the fact that the participation and cooperation of a wide range of local organisations is required for a community telecentre project. The organisers should also be involved in establishing the facility, content and its applications.

The sixth and the seventh session saw presentations on distributed internet and electric power and the benefits of internet service to society.

Presentations by Grameen Cyber Society, Multipurpose Tele Center, Drik Tap and others were made during the sessions.

A highly informative and participatory discussion session was also held before the three- day workshop came to a close.

The workshop organisers encouraged members of the community to check out their website at www .ari .vt. edu/ internet . The three-day event was successful in bringing to the fore the shortcomings of Bangladesh's ICT sector and the possible ways to address them with adequate time and funding.