Intel to help Bangladesh bridge digital divide

Intel Corporation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the education ministry for supplying 1,000 personal computers to schools in Bangladesh’s 64 districts as part of its plan to introduce information technology based education programme in the country.

Following its announcement made last September for introducing Intel World Ahead Programme in Bangladesh, Intel has also signed MoU with other agencies to ensure cost effective Internet connectivity at these schools.

Intel's World Ahead Programme General Manager John E. Davies, who is spearheading the assignment, is currently visiting the country to give the programme a kick-start.

“Understanding a country takes six to 12 months. But when it gets going, the programme speeds up with the help of right partners to implement it," Davies said.

Intel is also discussing with the education ministry about accommodating its education content in the curriculum and how to train the teachers for the World Ahead Programme.

Davies noted that the cost of Internet connection in Bangladesh is incredibly high compared to the rest of the world. This is why Intel is looking for other ways to provide education contents in the most cost effective way.

"For instance, there could be local caching service. Contents like math or science may be kept in the local server so that students can access them without any Internet connection," he said.

Intel has signed agreements with Grameen Solutions and Bangladesh Telecentre Network to set up telecentres that will offer an array of services to the public. Intel will be offering a model to help the country's goal of setting up 40,000 such centres across the country by 2011.

"The personal computer will be a service delivery platform for farmers, workers, students and all kinds of people. They can have interactive telemedicine services, register land, file application for passport, access market information, library and other things," Davies said. Some of these services are already being provided by different agencies. "Our model will accommodate future demands and technological requirements," he added.

The other issue Intel is looking at is how to provide cost effective computers to rural students. Intel has already developed low power computer processors which helped manufacturing of the second generation $250 "Classmate" computers, shock-proof and spill-proof PCs for students. This price tag is half of that of notebook computers.

Davies said the third generation processor "Atom" for Classmate PCs will be available from July next and it will make these computers more powerful and cost efficient. "These computers will encourage kids to go to school," he said.

"Intel's SKOOL is a package of program that combines math, physics, chemistry, biology etc. This will be made available. We will have it converted in Bangla. We are looking for partners to do it," he said.

Davies noted that in the last four years, Intel has given 40 million computers to different countries under the World Ahead Programme and trained five million teachers. "This programme is evolving continuously," he said.

Last September, Intel Corporation Chairman Dr Craig Barrett announced introduction of its World Ahead Programme to be implemented in Bangladesh jointly with Grameen Solutions in collaboration with the government. Dr Barrett noted that ICT gives four impacts on the society--education, economic development, healthcare and e-governance.