Financial Times

US$100 laptop no solution to bridge IT divide
By Akhry Ameer
The US$100 laptop being promoted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will not be a solution to bridge the digital divide with the poor segments of society, according to Intel.

Dr. Craig Barrett, chairman of Intel -- the world’s largest chip manufacturer, expressed this sentiment during a maiden visit to the country last week to launch its “Teach to the Future” programme.

Dr. Barrett prefers to call the US$100 laptop with manual hand-crank powering feature a ‘gadget’. “The problem is that gadgets have not been successful,” said Barrett adding that even the poor segments want the full functionality of a personal computer. He proposed attractive financing schemes encompassing hardware, software and local content as an alternative to low-cost gadgets.

Intel earlier during the year tied up with the Information Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) and other partners to launch the e-Sri Lanka PC, an initiative that makes personal computers and technology more affordable for teachers and students. He added that in future there will be scope to expand the programme to the small and medium enterprise market.

However, the programme has hit a snag with the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) on the Internet access component of the package. He also commended the proposed elimination of Value Added Tax on computers to make them more accessible to the public in the budget proposals for 2006. In a head-of-state-styled visit complete with sound and lighting equipment, technicians, media crew and private security personnel as part of a routine 30-country tour every year; the Intel boss commended the local initiatives thus far and said technology is key for Sri Lanka to create opportunity and improve economic development. Currently, Sri Lanka is down to 71st position in Network Readiness and is at 56 in E Readiness rankings according to the World Economic Forum.

Intel also announced the launch of its Teach to the Future programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and ICTA in select schools in the forthcoming academic year. Targeted at training 10,000 teachers in 2006, the programme would cover 100,000 over the next two years enlightening them on approaches to integrate technology into the classroom.

In a separate commercial arrangement, Intel also signed up Sri Lanka Telecom for the first commercial deployment of its WiMax technology. The 70MB per second wireless network works like a WiFi wireless connection between devices but over a large area of up to 50 km. Its wireless, low-cost and high-speed nature will provide broadband Internet access to homes, businesses, schools and government facilities enabling countries such as Sri Lanka to ensure digital inclusion of remote parts of the nation according to Intel.

The initial US$1 million deployment in Colombo, Galle and Kandy will enable the incumbent telecom provider to connect all major areas with broadband access by end next year coupled with its CDMA, fibre cables and other infrastructure. According to its Chief Executive Officer, Shuhei Anan the seamless connectivity would become a reality if TRC approvals are granted in time.

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