Connecting Rural Communities

Information and telecommunication technology is a key for the development of rural areas in India and other developing nations. It is my opinion that sustainable development, coupled with the right technology can alleviate the living conditions in the rural areas. Though work is being done in the field of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in rural areas in India at smaller scales, nothing has been achieved that shows substantial effects.

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) is holding a global international event on Connecting Rural Communities in India in Cochin. With the rapid projected development of rural communications in countries including India and China there has never been a greater opportunity for ICT companies to stake their claim on this lucrative market. The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) in conjunction with the Department of Telecommunications and the Indian Institute of Management is to hold the timeliest international conference dedicated to the market, Connecting Rural Communities 2006, in India on Jan 30th -2nd February.

The conference will emphasize the sharing of practical experiences while highlighting the role of place and place- based innovation in local development, rural health, education, culture and environment, with attention to implications for rural policy and governance. It will provide government initiatives, regulatory strategies that will allow businesses to advance in rural communities.

The agenda will include:

. Latest Asian regulatory initiatives for promoting ICTs in rural areas
. Marketing strategies to drive rural revenues
. Best practice case studies of successful rural communications projects
. An overview of the variety of current and upcoming ICT technologies for connecting rural communities
. How ICTs can be used to deliver e-health, e-education, e- agriculture, e-government and e-commerce to rural areas
. Future financing mechanisms for setting up rural communications
. Governments’ plans to expand rural ICT access

For more information about the conference please visit http://www.cto.int/rural06/

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