The importance of Alliances between Civil Society, the Government and International Agencies to redu

1
The importance of Alliances between Civil
Society, the Government and International
Agencies to reduce the Digital DividePresented
toOpen Access Workshop
Sweden, May 2004
2
An Overview of Bolivia

• Bolivia has 1.1 million square kms
• A population of 8.5 million
• The largest indigenous population in Latin America

3
An Overview of Bolivia

• Two thirds of Bolivia is tropical, one third
  highlands
• The countrys GNP is 1,200 US per capita
• Bolivia ranks 114 out of 174 in the UNs Human
  Development Index

4
An Overview of Bolivia

• Life expectancy is 62 years
• Democracy returned in 1982
• President Carlos Meza sworn in as president in
  October of last year after a popular uprising led
  to the resignation of Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada

5
Telecommunications Sector

• Telco market was opened in 1995, eliminating the
  monopoly of ENTEL, even though it is the mayor
  telco in Bolivia providing Internet, cell phone,
  data transmission and satellite services.
• Entel was bought by STET from Italy for 610 US
  million and was responsably for installing phones
  in communities with more than 350 residents
• Three cellular phone companies serve over a 1
  million clients
• Cooperatives have a monopoly on local services
• Regulatory polices are the responsibility of the
  Superintendence of Telecommunications

6
Telecommunications Sector

• Only one fifth of households have a fixed
  telephone line
• 80 percent of all lines in services are in three
  largest cities
• Bolivia has one of the lowest levels of
  teledensity in Latin America

7
Status of Bolivias ICT Sector

• Only 45 Bolivian public schools have Internet
• There are only 2,800 computers in Bolivias
  12,000 public schools
• Funding for Universal Access has been limited
• Internet is available to only 5 percentage of the
  population although Internet Cafes have opened
  access in mayor cities
• Limited Community participation in developing ICT
  strategies and programs

8
Challenges facing the ICT Sector

• Lack of Coordination between government, private
  sector, civil society, universities and donor
  agencies
• Lack of a E Strategy for Bolivia
• Limited resources for reaching rural areas and
  connecting schools
• Limited awareness of the importance of ICTs as a
  development tool

9
Challenges facing the ICT Sector

• Weak government institutions responsible for ICT
  Development
• Private Sector only interested in high traffic
  and high profit areas
• Donor agencies lack clear and coherent strategies
  for ICT Development
• Too many resources wasted on studies and
  bureaucracy

10
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• ADSIB in charge of Government E-Government
  Strategies.
• Vice Ministry of Telecommunications in charge of
  policy and channeling resources to the ICT
  sectors
• SITTEL in charge of regulatory policy
• World Bank, UNDP, Inter American Development
  Bank, USAID, IICD, CAF, foreign aid programs

11
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• ADSIB
• Established by the Vice Presidency to coordinate
  government E-strategies and programs.
• Limited resources and personnel inhibits
  effective implementation
• In charge of coordinating the UN GeSCI program
• Limited civil society participation

12
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• Vice Ministry of Telecommunications
• In charge of implementing the World Bank and
  Government Rural Electrification and
  Telecommunications project
• Limited effect due to lack of counterpart funds,
  efforts to reduce government deficits and
  bureaucratic changes
• 20 US million dollar World Bank loan on hold due
  to above factors
• Strategies and policies dictated from Washington
  with limited civil society participation
• ICT not considered a priority by Central
  Government

13
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• Superintendence of Telecommunications
• In charge of implementing telecom regulatory
  policies
• Well positioned economically due to fees
  collected from Telcos
• Universal Access laws limit access of new players
  for rural telecommunications
• Spectro policies inhibits expansion of wireless
  systems
• Lack of E-strategy for the country

14
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• FUNDETIC
• New foundation set up to coordinate and implement
  Information and Communications Technology
  programs in Bolivia.
• Partners include the Bolivian Government, aid
  agencies, NGOs, Telcos, software companies and
  universities
• Will implement Development Gateway portal in
  Bolivia
• Participating in GeSCI strategy workshops for
  Bolivia

15
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• FUNDETIC
• Working on Food For Minds project with the Quipus
  Foundation to set up a National Fund and Program
  for Information Technology, Training and Culture.
• Program is based on monetizing surplus food
  products donated by governments.
• Surplus food products would be sold at
  competitive prices in Bolivia and other markets.
• Partners include the UNDP and ACDI VOCA, an NGO
  expert on monetizing surplus food products.
• Would help fund GeSCI program in Bolivia
• Would support innovation, culturally-appropriate
  content and software development, training and
  Community Telecenter Projects throughout Bolivia

16
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• FUNDETIC
• Working on a Information System for Development
  that will set up a Geographic Information System
  based program to coordinate, systematize and
  provide open access to information on education,
  health, donor agencies, NGOs, micro credit
  institutions, etc. s.
• Partners would include the World Bank, the Inter
  American Development Bank, the Institute of
  Statistics, municipalities, government agencies
  and NGOs
• Would provide a web-based information system that
  would operate independent of political and
  government changes

17
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• Ministry of Education
• Limited ICT educational strategies
• Lack of funding for implementing schools,
  Internet and Programs in public schools
• Partners in Entra 21 Youth ICT training and youth
  employment program
• Lack of priority for implementing ICT programs
• Key partner in GeSCI program in Bolivia

18
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• CRIS Bolivia
• This network of civil society and NGOs supports
  Information Society awareness and programs in
  Bolivia.
• Universidad Real. Implementing a Telecenter
  Educational project
• FINFURAL and several NGOS implementing community
  Telecenters.

19
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• Quipus Foundation-NUR University
• Operate 3 Cisco Networking Academies
• Implementing a Center for Innovation in ICT for
  Development in Bolivia
• Runs programs on Linux, Network Security, VSATs,
  etc

20
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• Entra21 Bolivia
• Is comprehensive and innovative ICT training and
  employment project designed to fill educational
  gaps of disadvantaged youth in Bolivia improving
  their employability and ultimately their economic
  prospects as well as those of their families.

21
Players in implementing ICT programs in Bolivia

• Three components of Entra21 Bolivia
• Integrated Classroom Training for 600 youth
  (16-29 years) from semi-urban and rural areas
• Practical Training (Internship) for 2 months
• Job Placement Services

22
Players in implementing ICTBolivia
DESATELDesarrollo, Energías Alternativas y
Telecomunicaciones
A project developed by CARE, NUR University, the
Quipus Foundation, the NGO network PROCOSI
23
Project Overview

• Socially responsible rural telecommunications
  venture backed by non-profit organizations
• Plans to develop nation-wide Community Telecenter
  network to offer affordable Internet, IP
  Telephony and Video services. Will work with the
  ICA E Links hub in Canada
• DESATEL will utilize a network of franchised
  Community Telecenters to provide community access
  to communications resources and development
  programs

24
DESATELs Mission
Affect positive social and economic change in
rural Bolivia by creating a sustainable
Community Telecenter Network to serve as the
delivery platform for valuable telecom services
and development programs
25
Technology
26
Red E-Link-socio estratégico de DESATEL
27
Objectives

• Bridge the digital divide in Bolivia
• Telecenters and telecommunication
  services (Internet IP telephony)
• Renewable energy services
• Utilize Telecenters to deliver comprehensive
  development programs
• Distance education, training and multi-ethnic
  content and cultural programs
• E-government transactions and workflow
• Municipal strengthening
• Telemedicine and micro-credit services
• Transfer of remittances from overseas
• Agricultural resources (water/soil analysis)

28
Services

• DESATEL will offer the following services
• Connections to the Internet to Telecenters,
  schools, universities, health centers, micro
  credit institutions, municipalities, private
  companies, tourism operators etc.
• Radio IP, video, and IP voice transmission
• Web and email hosting
• A platform for long distance education

29
DESATEL Partnership
30
Telecenter Franchise System

• DESATELs Community Telecenter Network will be
  organized in a franchise system
• Community and/or institutional (i.e. local
  partners, NGOs and micro-credit organizations)
  stakeholders will manage each location
• Involvement by community stakeholders and leaders
  will maximize facility utilization and accelerate
  technology adoption

31
Technology

• DESATEL will utilize VSATs DVB RCS open
  standard technology offering two way connectivity
  to reach regions of Bolivia without land line
  access
• Easy to install and operate
• Ideal for institutional networks with
  geographically dispersed sites and/or communities
  lacking infrastructure
• Low-cost technology enables DESATEL to offer
  extremely competitive telecom services and
  valuable programs

32
Long Distance Education Platform

• DESATEL and GLOBATEL will use the Community
  Telecenter network as a platform for long
  distance educacional programs for public
  employees, teachers, micro credit organizations,
  NGOs, etc.
• Broadband connectivity through a DVB platform
  will be provided by DESATEL. GLOBATEL will
  provide the video conferencing platform.

33
Educational Platform
VoIP

• Municipalities
• Educational centers
• Telemedicine
• Electoral Court
• Customs
• NGOs
• Micro Credit Institutions

Internet
LAN
video conference
Classroom
Public Telephone
34
Educational System

• The system will include
• Central Transmission Studio
• Two way satellite transmission, point to
  multipoint system using Broadband Internet
• Instalation, training and operation of the
  network

35
Ideas to reduce the Digital Divide

• Support the Development of a Country Strategy and
  Action Plan involving the Government, Civil
  Society, Universities, NGOs, bilateral and
  multilateral aid agencias and municipalities.
  UNDP is supporting the preparation of a Country E
  strategy.
• Identify and search for innovative funding
  mechanisms (debt swaps, universal access funds,
  Food for Minds, etc) that will support the
  sustainability of ICT for Development projects.
• Set up a Center for Innovation in Information
  Technology in Bolivia for Development
• Strengthen Government institutions to assist in
  implementing E-strategies and E-Government
  Programs

36
Ideas to reduce the Digital Divide

• Establish the GeSCI program with the Ministry of
  Education and ADSIB with support from UNDP,
  FUNDETIC, CRIS, etc.
• Implement a Universal Access Fund paid for by
  Telcos.
• Support the regulatory policies that will allow
  for the spread of wireless, VoIP and other
  state-of-the art telecommunications technologies.
  
• Promote public awareness campaigns on the
  importance of ICT as a Development Tool
• Promote ICTs as a tool to improve government
  efficiency, reduce bureaucracy and corruption and
  improve public services
• Support the development of culturally-appropriate
  content for the educational and development
  sectors
• Support ICT services for Small and Medium
  Enterprises

37
Ideas to reduce the Digital Divide

• Support technological innovation in areas such as
  VSATs, Wi Fi, recycled and inexpensive computers,
  accesible and culturally appropriate software.
• Involve universities in promoting ICTS as a
  development tool
• Set up a Fund for Innovation in ICTS
• NEVER GIVE UP AND FIND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE
  CHALLENGES FACING THE ICT SECTOR

38
ICT Center for Development and Education

• Joint venture Quipus Foundation, Mision Titicaco
  Fundetic
• Empowerment, entrepreneurship, problem solving,
  business services, culturally- appropriate
  content development
• Education,communication is key to sustainable
  development
• www.titicaco.com

39
Contact Information

• Peter McFarren
• President
• Fundación para el Desarrollo de las TICs en
  Bolivia (FUNDETIC).
• mcfarren_at_entelnet.bo

40
Many Thanks