Telecenters in Pakistan

Pakistan is gearing up for a massive and expansive Telecentre movement evolving quietly as a multi-stakeholder initiative. This initiative is neither a one man show nor can it be attributed to a single entity as the movement has been influenced by ICT4D multi-stakeholder contributions towards identifying and realizing where the country stands in terms of its ICT infrastructure, how can this infrastructure be utilized to deliver an efficient model for Telecenters in the country, with of course, support through a fund of Pakistani Rupees 100 Billion under the Universal Service Fund USF available for funding and managing this movement. However, the crown for advocating and initiating the process of Telecentres goes to both the World Bank and Mr. Salman Ansari of SATC (Salman Ansari Technology Consultants) who has completed the final report titled "Telecenters and Community Resource and Information Centers in Pakistan" programme that will be targeting setting up of rural ‘Tele-centers’ in Pakistan under the Universal Service Fund Program.

In a telephonic discussion with Mr. Salman, Ex-Advisor to the Minister of IT&T and CEO SATC discussed that the Government of Pakistan in collaboration with the World Bank, PTA, PSO, Ministry of IT&T, Intel, Allama Iqbal Open University, FOSSFP: Free and Open Source Software Foundation of Pakistan, Ubuntu Pakistan, International Free and Open Source Software Foundation iFOSSF, UNDP-APDIP International Open Source Network and various Mobile Cellular Operators were preparing to execute the "Telecenters and Community Resource and Information Centers in Pakistan" programme that will be targeting setting up of rural ‘Tele-centers’ in Pakistan under the Universal Service Fund Program. The report has been completed by SATC and approved by World Bank and the project execution will be starting in near future.

The Telecenters initiative will be connecting both disadvantaged and rural regions through various technologies including fiber optics, DVB2 Satellites and wireless Networking. A key target of the initiative is to reduce the Digital Divide in Pakistan by extending low-cost computer hardware running localized Urdu language content through Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) within every village in Pakistan. Services at these community resource and information centers will include computer literacy, PCOs, VOIP, Photocopy and Fax facilities ensuring sustainability of the centres through public-private partnerships promoting entrepreneurship for both gender and youth. The Telecenter initiative in Pakistan will employ wireless networks including high power Wifi solutions, VSAT, TDMA terminals, DBVS-2 second generation giving priority to bring in broadband into the rural, not for people to surf the internet but to provide services including video conferencing and continuous connectivity. Network meshes of villages will be created to sustain the networks of continuous connectivity.