3G-based Last Mile Initiative to empower rural communities

By Darshana Abayasingha
‘Easy Seva’ centre, a Last Mile Initiative by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) opened at Wennappuwa last week. The project aims to bring high-speed data services to serve rural communities in a bid to bridge the digital and information divides. The centre at Wennappuwa is the first of 15 that would be set up around the country in partnership with Dialog Telekom, Qualcomm, Synergy Strategies and NDB Bank.

Easy Seva aims to develop entrepreneurs in the Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector, by deploying 3G mobile broadband internet service at village level. Thus, these entrepreneurs would be able to offer affordable access to ICT-enabled services and content to the locality. The connectivity comes through Dialog’s HSDPA network, and an innovative franchise model has been designed to create a profitable and sustainable business model.

USAID’s Last Mile Initiative is a global programmemme to expand the access of the rural poor to communications. It is implemented in Sri Lanka through Inforshare and SSG. The Easy Seva centres would help rural residents acquire information and employment skills via the World Wide Web and open up new job opportunities, plus, converse with relatives and new friends overseas. President of Qualcomm India, a developer of advanced wireless technologies, Kanwalinder Singh, congratulated Dialog Telekom for being the first operator in the South Asian region to launch HSDPA for rural applications. “It reaffirms that 3G HSDPA has the versatility to deliver next-generation services to all consumers,” he said.

Speaking to The Bottom Line, Shawn Covell, Qualcomm’s Senior Director of International Government Affairs agreed that most technology-based mobile applications are put to better use in developing countries as in the case of Easy Seva.

“Sri Lanka is ahead of India and the rest of the South Asian region, with Dialog offering HSDPA and other technology services. In implementing programmemes such as Easy Seva, it is important that we are sensitive to local requirements. In most cases the responses to technology have been wonderful, particularly with schools to improve education options. Language really hasn’t been a barrier considering the results and when we see in real terms what they are downloading,” Covell said.

Broadband connectivity and ICT are considered important tools for socio-economic progress in developing countries, and coupled with programmemes such as Easy Seva they would empower rural communities by providing access to global opportunities.