From bogus@does.not.exist.com Wed May 23 10:56:49 2007 From: bogus@does.not.exist.com () Date: Wed May 23 10:56:48 2007 Subject: No subject Message-ID: has started a new dialling code type for Internet access, accessible from anywhere in the country, and chargeable at local call rates. This would give a new phone code (e.g. 088) that all ISPs could use for their access lines. Any call to these numbers from anywhere in the country would be charged as a local call. This will give a form of subsidy to internet access, but only for the more remote (mainly rural) users. Currently the internet users in Johannesburg, Cape Town or other big cities are already paying local call rates. There is no reliable figures for percentage of internet users in rural areas, though a knowledgeable source (Arthur Goldstuck) estimates it around 3%. Therefore this will be a small cost to the telecomms operator, though a huge benefit in providing internet access in rural areas. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Peter Benjamin LINK Centre, Wits University, South Africa (Temporary mailbox while travelling - main address peter@sn.apc.org) --------------------------------------------- think globally, search locally - Orientation South Africa Email. http://za.orientation.com From bogus@does.not.exist.com Wed May 23 10:56:49 2007 From: bogus@does.not.exist.com () Date: Wed May 23 10:56:48 2007 Subject: No subject Message-ID: the telecentres projects, USA organisations and finances. The CommUnity newsletter wishes her every success. * Zandi Lesame, Lesamnc@unisa.ac.za Zandi is a lecturer at UNISA studying for her doctorate assessing how urban and rural telecentres are used for education in South Africa. She has done an extensive literature review of examples from other countries. She is now conducting research in SA and is eager to contact people interested in or involved with education projects in telecentres. People who wish to contribute on how telecentres are used in South Africa for education can send information to Zandi by e-mail. Comments, discussion of the questionnaire or other feedback welcome. * Telecom Co-operatives The new policy directive allows for telecom co-operatives to be established, especially in underserviced areas (see page 3). This is largely due to the lobbying work of Tina James. Working for the American National Telephone Cooperative Association (NTCA), she has led an active discussion in this country of how to use co-ops to provide ICT access. The NTCA has worked in many countries supporting local cooperatives set up telecomms local loop and internet services. With the new policy, in SA this work should move from words to action soon. For more information, contact Tina. tjames@intekom.co.za, 082 460 7915. * IDRC Offices Closing The Canadian International Development Research Centre (IDRC) has been very active in supporting community ICT research, policy and implementation for the past decade. It is with regret that we learn that their Southern African office (based in Braamfontein, Johannesburg) will probably be closing this year. While we still hope the head office in Canada will change their decision, CommUnity would like to acknowledge the huge amount of energy, commitment, expertise (and sometimes even money) the IDRC has contributed to this sector. Thank you, Marc van Amerigen, Kate Wild, Shafika Isaacs, Bas Kotterink, Christel Jacob, Linah Hlatshwayo, Nigel Motts, Claire Sibthorpe, Heather Hudson and more. Through learning together you have given us much. *************************************** DOT FORCE IN SOUTH AFRICA Alison Gillwald reports on the recent international meeting in South Africa. The second leg of the Digital Opportunity Task Force (DOTForce) took place in Cape Town from the 1 -2 March 2001 - the only formal DOTForce meeting to be held in the South before the final meeting in Genoa in mid-year when the Force will report back to the G8 countries on their recommendations. The work of the DOTForce launch at the G8's meeting in Okinawa last year was a response to two divergent trends. On the one hand, developing nations face new opportunities for sustainable social and economic development created by information and communication technologies (ICT) and the increased integration of the global economy. On the other hand, there is a growing divide between and within countries and a marginalised of the majority of the world's population from these developments. Under the leadership of Italy's Vincenzo Schioppa and Bruno Lanvin who was seconded to head the secretariat, the Force has made considerable progress in reviewing where we have come from and producing a framework on how to move ahead. But the devil is always in the detail and the most difficult part of the project still lies ahead with the development of recommendations to the G8. These could contribute significantly to development in the developing world or they could, like so many global initiatives before them, founder. It was these debates that preoccupied representatives from the G8, international bodies such as the World Bank, OECD, ITU and a few developing countries Brazil, Egypt, India and South Africa were the developing countries present and early on in the debate there were indications that some countries felt the initiative was not sufficiently attuned to the developing world and should be boycotted or at least redirected. The developed countries were represented both by the private sector and non-profit sector in addition to their governments, which was not the case for the developing world. Only South Africa, with a silent private sector representative, had any representation other than government. This was unfortunate, in that the richness of the debate was certainly enhance by the private and public sector participation of the developed countries. The themes debated included: · Trade and Investment Policy in the digital world, with the arising project a Virtual policy centre; · Strategic uses of risk capital to promote ICT, requiring seed funding; · Business, non-profit and government organisation as partners in a digital world: new technology enables development alliances such as government on-line or joint education; · Regional economic and technical cooperation through regional consultations; · comparing new digital development infrastructure; and · old telecom which would require collaboration on new policies. The key elements include human capacity, infrastructure, policy and regulatory frameworks, enterprise and content. To see the latest draft of the report: http://www.markle.org/dotforce.html ***************************************** WOMEN'SNET Dear TeleCentre owner/Manager Women'sNet is a vibrant and innovative networking support programme designed to enable South African women to use the Internet to find the people, issues, resources, tools and skills they need. We are a joint project of SANGONeT, an NGO, and the Commission on Gender Equality. Women'sNet aims to empower South African women to use information and communication technologies more effectively in their struggle towards advancing women's equality. Women'sNet seeks to: · make the Internet accessible and less intimidating to women · provide gender-sensitive training and support · link people working in related projects and help them find tools and resources on the Internet · create a platform for women's voices and issues · help distribute information in formats accessible to women not directly linked to the Internet. The Women'sNet web site contains information and discussion generated by South African women on gender issues and includes: News, Radio Exchange, HIV/AIDS, Job and Study Opportunities, Beijing + 5 in Africa, Women and Human Rights, Preventing Violence Against Women, Gender in Parliament, Health, New Communication Technologies, Women and Enterprise, Gender Links and Resources, Directory of South African Women's Organisations, Calendar of events You can find our site at: http://womensnet.org.za Women'sNet is constantly seeking better ways to work with communities and bridge the digital divide between men and women, advantaged and disadvantaged. We also need feedback from women in communities so that we can keep our project relevant. As such we would like to form partnerships with services in communities, like yours, to assist us in better servicing your needs. We would like to support your Telecentre by: · Developing materials that are of interest to the women in your local community; · Disseminating information on topics of local interest, in formats most accessible to your women clients; · Assisting you to gain access to, and network with, national and international organisations, lobbying groups and funders; · Providing training on technical skills, networking skills, lobbying and advocacy through the use of radio, Internet and print media. We can provide the above services, tailored to your needs. In this way Women'sNet can help you to make the Internet more accessible to local women. Women'sNet will gain an understanding of the needs of rural women, which will allow us to better service the informational needs of South African women. Women'sNet will be contacting your office in the near future to follow up our interest to be of service to TeleCentre owners and managers. I hope that we will be able to collaborate in the near future. Yours sincerely, Natasha Primo Women'sNet Project Manager natasha@womensnet.org.za --------------------------------------------- think globally, search locally - Orientation South Africa Email. http://za.orientation.com