Let the Internet be everyone's

Internet access is considered a human right in the developed world. But it does not exist in many developing countries, so when present, it is seen as a gift.

In most countries where the Internet is popular, usage patterns follow standards: email, gaming, travel, gambling, pornography and Youtube viewing. In countries where access to the Internet is not easy, the usage model is also very different: applying for a marriage certificate, asking for permission to raise rabbits, and even asking where the rent payment is coming from . In many countries, the Internet is a gift from God, not human rights.

In Madhya Pradesh, India, an illiterate woman goes to a soochak (Manager) of an Internet kiosk. She complained about an inactive well and soochak used her computer to fill her complaints into an electronic form, then sent it to a local center where she was registered with the government. local.

In Lima, Peru, a woman who needs to contact her son has emigrated to New York City to ask for money to pay for the doctor. She went to a local cabina pública (a small computer center), where the VoIP service allowed her to make a short call with her son at a cost or even less (about 30 cents US ).

In Hungary, a rabbit hunter asked János permission (local teleház mining staff) to surf the Web and register for government subsidies for corn seeds. He can use this corn to feed the rabbits during the winter, so they will be fatter for hunting in the spring.

Access to all areas

The three examples above are typical examples of people living in less developed areas getting real benefits through Internet access. The value of the Internet as a development tool multiplies itself in an amazing way; The most important thing is that none of these users must have computer knowledge to benefit from Internet access.

In fact, only about 10% of people on the planet are familiar with the Internet and what the Internet can bring. Most of them live in industrialized countries, or if they live in developing countries, they are among the rich, well educated and often the minority of speakers. English lives in urban areas.

The separation between people and people who are unable to access digital technologies is often called digital divide. But that term doesn't cover the complexity of the problem, because it focuses on the 'yes' and 'no' aspects of technology. Instead, what really means is the ability to use and benefit from technology, regardless of whether the technology belongs to personal ownership.

Although there are many people and organizations who know that simply equipping people with computers will not narrow the digital divide, and what to do is still unclear. Conditions in Tokyo will not match the conditions in Lima, Peru; conditions in New York City will not suit what is in Madhya Pradesh, India. And as revealed, technology in particular is not the solution. Examples in India, Peru, and Hungary all have one thing in common that makes sense for local social networks and on-demand business needs that lead to successful applications.

Across the developing world, public Internet access facilities are growing to offset the shortage and make life better. These Internet access facilities are very different from the very modern Internet cafes built in cities, where people who have knowledge of the Internet access the network to use email or play games. . Public Internet access facilities are addressing more and more issues, becoming an important and growing force in the developing world with low levels of ICT penetration.

About the author:
TONY SALVADOR and JOHN SHERRY are Intel ethnologists in Hillsboro, Ore.Salvador holds a doctorate in anthropology and experimental psychology from Tufts University, in Boston.Sherry holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Portland University, in Oregon and a doctorate in ethnology from the University of Arizona, in Tempe.

An information kiosk, a cabina pública, and a teleház are all very different in appearance and operation. However, each of them is economically significant for the local community. Household owners or private business owners running these facilities rely on local social networks and knowledge of how to mobilize resources in place to benefit the community. They use - and in many cases coordinate - any technology they can access to meet the needs of local customers, needs that are often very different from those of people living in developed countries.

Above all, large companies and manufacturers like Intel are beginning to define and design local products. The Device Definition Centers (PDCs) have been formed in four key markets: India, Egypt, Brazil and China to help identify new computer and technology devices meet local needs.

The São Paulo-based Brazilian Center will recruit local human resources and look for concepts of products and technologies that can meet the needs of Latin America. Center in Cairo, Egypt will meet the needs of the Arab world. As Otellini said, Intel is making coordinated efforts to set up local technology centers around the world, in those locations that need them most.

Up to now, people who have developed the world's computer hardware and software have created them to suit their own world - the 'yes' world. Responsible companies are studying how technology is being applied in the rest of the world, the world of 'no' people and how they may be designed in the future. Better match that world. Aiming at providing access for those who need it, not merely wanting it.

Tony Salvador & John Sherry, Intel