ICT for All

Jiro Suzuki writes:

"RM3,000 for a PC and RM77 per month for 384kbps broadband access is expensive for a significant proportion of the Malaysian public. Cheaper, simpler methods to bring about universal access to information and connectivity should be considered.

If we want to ensure real momentum in the ICT for all campaign, the mobile phone is the best solution. The key advantage of the mobile phone is that it is wireless, already implemented and covers more than 90% of Malaysia's terrain. The current existing 2.5 Generation GSM network is also sufficient to enable a fair number of applications to be deployed and SMS remains a cheap and fairly reliable form of information retrieval and dissemination.

The core idea behind the ICT for all campaign is that information can help improve our quality of life. By having access to information, we can make better decisions, be it in our personal lives or business. Sometimes, all it takes to make a difference is simple information. Information on the weather, wind speeds and atmospheric changes are easy to communicate and basic in their nature but have a great impact on farmers and fishermen, for example.

The goal should be to provide Malaysians outside the urban areas with incremental experiences of ICT and getting them used to the idea of using information to make better decisions in their lives or their business, before we look towards richer digital experiences such as broadband, streaming media, audio and Flash."