[Telecentres]Introduction - Aadit Shrestha, CDRAN, Nepal

[aadit at wlink.com.np]

EN/FR/ES

Hello Everyone
First of all I would like express my appreciation to the people who thought
of etablishing this WSIS Telecenters working group. I believe that community
telecenters, specially the ones in rural and remote areas of the world can
play a leading role in bringing the benefits of ICT (Information an
Communications Technology) to the access of the people who need them the
most, the people on the lesser side of the Digital Divide.
I am associated with an organization called 'Center for Development of Rural
Area Networks' (CDRAN), which has recently been established in Kathmandu
Engineering College, Nepal. Our primary objective is to interconnect
underdeveloped villages of Nepal using wireless computer networks, and
develop rural tele-centers for Education, Tele-medicine, E-commerce and of
course Basic Communication.
CDRAN hopes to concentrate on addressing the challenges in bringing the
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution to the masses of
the rural areas of Nepal. People in developed regions of the world are
already benefiting in large numbers from the facilities provided by various
ICT based technologies, whereas the people in the remote hilly and
mountainous regions of Nepal are still in need of basic infrastructures such
as telecommunications, education and public health. CDRAN, as an
organization, hopes to reduce this gap as far as possible. We believe that
technology is only realized best when it can be put to use for the benefit of
the people. The role of ICTs as a force will be realized in Nepal when it can
be used to uplift the lives of the multitude of Nepalese living below the
poverty line in rural areas. We realize that Telecenters are the best method
for bringing the power of ICTs within people's reach.
We have only recently started and due to lack of resources and funds, we have
set some short term goals. We plan to collaborate with existing wireless
networks and telecenters in enhancing their capabilites. We have currently
started some projects with the Myagdi Wireless Network
(http://www.nepalwireless.net) as we believe this wireless network can become
a role model for Nepal. Myagdi is a remote district in Nepal with a tough
mountainous terain. A successful wireless network connecting five villages,
along with a telecenter in each village school has been changing the lives of
the people of Myagdi. We at CDRAN plan to add capacity building features to
this network by adding new services such as tele-teaching and tele-medicine.
I strongly support Andy Carvin's suggestion of using this working group to
share resources, research and best practices. I am also hoping to build
alliances and collborations.
Let me use this opportunity also to find out if any of us here are using
audio/video streaming for tele-medicine, tele-teaching? We have tried some
tools/software and even developed one JAVA-based thing. Unfortunately, none 
of these provide good quality video streaming. I would like to put out a
request through this platform for suggestions on good quality video streaming
solutions.
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Bonjour à tous d'abord de tous je voudrais exprès mon appréciation au peuple
qui a pensé à etablishing ce groupe de travail de WSIS Telecenters. Je crois
que les telecenters de la communauté, particulièrement ceux dans des régions
rurales et éloignées du monde peuvent jouer un principal rôle en apportant
les avantages d'ICT (l'information une technologie de communications) à
l'accès du peuple qui a besoin d'eux plus, les personnes du peu de côté de
Digital se divisent. Je suis associé à une organisation appelée le 'Center
pour le développement du secteur rural Networks' ; (CDRAN), qui a été
récemment fondée dans Kathmandu Engineering College, le Népal. Notre premier
objectif est de relier ensemble les villages sous-développés du Népal en
utilisant les réseaux informatiques sans fil, et développe les télé--centres
ruraux pour l'éducation, la Télé--médecine, l'E-commerce et naturellement la
communication de base. CDRAN espère se concentrer sur adresser les défis en
apportant l'information et la révolution de la technologie de communication
(ICT) aux masses des régions rurales du Népal. Les gens dans des régions
développées du monde bénéficient déjà dans de grands nombres des équipement