What A Villager Wants…Internet Access?

Maybe. Zee News has an interview with Chintan Bakshi (COO) of United Villages, which provides Internet access to villagers via a kiosk and WiFi. The service, called DakNet, covers 15 villages in Orissa. Using pre-paid cards villagers order information (on health, career) and goods (like books and music) at the kiosk, or record and send messages as video, audio or text. A bus fitted with WiFi picks up information from the kiosk and delivers it to the United Villages city office. The city office then sends the messages and/or completes transactions for goods, which the bus delivers on its way back. So far, there are 7-8 such buses.
More here, including some info on ITC’s eChoupal initiative.
So looks like rural India’s interaction with the Internet is primarily going to be dependent on kiosk operators. Also, for almost all the services mentioned in the article, wouldn’t it be easier and more cost-effective to use the mobile for communication, and a bus for just delivery?

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