The RITI Telecentre pilot project

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The RITI Telecentre pilot project

• RITI (Romanian Information Technology Initiative)
  Policy project financed by USAID and implemented
  by INTERNEWS
• RITI Policy is designed to assist regulatory and
  administrative functions necessary to develop the
  new competitive electronic communication market
  structure in Romania.
• The Telecentre pilot project has been implemented
  jointly by RITI Policy and RITI Access

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Why did we set up the pilot project ?

• Citizens in vast areas of Romania are deprived of
  access to telecommunication services
• The penetration rate of the fixed telephony is
  19 and of the mobile telephony 23
• A very rough estimation would indicate that
  around 30 of the Romanian population has access
  to a telecom service

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Why did we set up the pilot project ?

• The Universal Service Law was adopted in April
  2003 it gives the right to every Romanian
  citizen to have access to the telecom services
• The Ministry of ITC needed to draft the policy
  on the implementation of the Universal Service
  Law as soon as possible
• Telecentres could be a cost-effective solution to
  implement the Universal Service Law

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Presentation of the Centres

• Telecentre is a place where anyone can get access
  to a full range of telecom and IT services
• The centre provides telephones, fax, computers,
  copy machine and printers
• Special software was installed so that all the
  cost of the telephony calls may be measured

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Cross-Sectoral Impact of the Telecentres

• Information Technology Communications
• Business
• Agriculture
• Education
• Social purposes

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How did we do it ?

• Partnership
• USAID ( through RITI Policy designing and
  implementing the project and RITI Access
  providing the equipment to the Telecentres)
• Private telecom operators (ensuring the access to
  the telecom network)
• Other private companies (Microsoft)
• Local Authorities (providing the necessary space
  and personnel for the Telecentre)
• National Authorities (MCTI and ANRC supporting
  the project and using the best practices in a
  national implementation of the law)

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How did we do it ?

• Approaching the relevant Telecom operators and
  getting their support (Romtelecom, Connex,
  Orange, Zapp, Radiocomunicatii, Rartel)
• Applying various technical solutions to solve the
  problem of connecting the centre to PSTN (Fixed
  line, fixed wireless link, satellite link)

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Where did we do it ?

• Frecatei - Braila County 1470 inhabitants
  just one telephone available in the City Hall
  often cut off from the world in the winter time
  due to weather conditions.
• Balasesti Galati County 2565 inhabitants,
  only 240 subscribers to the telephony services.
• Iana Vaslui County 3950 inhabitants, just 2
  public payphones available.
• Rebricea Vaslui County 4150 inhabitants in 9
  villages, 4 public payphones located in 2
  villages

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Where did we do it ?

• Project started in June 2003. At the beginning of
  October 2003 the following centres were opened
• Frecatei - Braila County - Partnership with
  Connex fixed wireless link (4 500 USD
  investment)
• Balasesti Galati County Partnership with
  Romtelecom fixed telephony line (3 000 USD
  investment)
• Iana Vaslui County Partnership with Rartel
  satellite link (11 000 USD investment) subsidy
  for the tariffs
• Rebricea Vaslui County Partnership with
  Orange extension of their mobile network (
  approx. 200 000 USD investment our estimation)
  construction work in progress

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First results

• Access to telephony services, fax and Internet,
  photocopying, printing, computers for over 12.000
  individuals
• Good usage of the Telecentre (e.g. 1/3 of the
  population in Frecatei used at least one of the
  services provided)
• Youth training one of the priorities (special
  courses for pupils in computer use, in Iana and
  Balasesti)

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What is next ?

• Further promotion of the services
• Supporting business activities
• New services for education purposes
• Starting point for other projects
• New Telecentres will be developed by RITI Access

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Thank You !
Bogdan Manolea bogdan_at_internews.org
www.riti-internews.ro