The Centre for Internet and Society
https://cis-india.org
These are the search results for the query, showing results 301 to 308.
Handy Origins of the winds of change
https://cis-india.org/news/handy-origins-of-the-winds-of-change
<b>A seminar in Bangalore revealed how mobile technology is being harnessed across India to bring about development and social change, reports Shrabonti Bagchi
- DNA (6th Sept, 2009)
</b>
<p>The Internet, for all the celebrated changes it has made in our lives, still had limited penetration in our country with about 80 million, largely urban and prosperous users. This severely limits its viability as a vehicle of development and social change. The mobile phone, on the other hand, has 400 million users in the country, and has undoubtedly become the first mode of communication in India to gain almost universal reach, cutting across barriers of location, region, community and social classes. <br />“The mobile phone has unprecedented penetration into classes of society that were largely unconnected with the outside world till now,” said Sunil Abraham, executive director of the Centre for Internet and Society, which along with Mobile Monday Bangalore, the Bangalore chapter of a global community of wireless industry professionals, organised a seminar, “Mobile Technology 4 Social Change”, in the city recently.<br />The idea for the event came from one of the co-organizers, Mobileactive.org, which is a network of NGOs interested in taking advantage of the mobile telephony revolution to bring about changes, informed Abraham.<br />Attended by NGOs, non-profit organisations, researchers, donors, and of course, mobile application developers, the seminar intended to throw open doors of communication between these varied groups of people.<br />Take the case of IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL), for instance. This farmers’ co-operative formed under the aegis of fertiliser manufacturer IFFCO has tied up with cellular service provider Airtel to develop a special SIM card which enables users to receive voice and text messages everyday containing nuggets of information about various farming practices. It has around 2,75,000 subscribers in Karnataka alone, informs IKSL state manager G Raghunatha, and has made a huge difference to the lives of farmers.<br />A similar case is related by Subbaih Arunachalam who is involved with the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, which has tied up with Tata Tele-services and Qualcomm and telecom developer Astute to create special GPS-enabled mobile phones (costing less than Rs.3, 000) that helps fishermen track weather reports, send out emergency messages in case they are lost at sea, etc., and also engage in price-point discussions with local wholesalers.<br />Several NGOs have also been quick to utilise the advantage of the versatility and ease-of-use of the mobile phone to disseminate vital information. Sreekanth Rameshaiah, director of Bangalore-based NGO Mahiti, spoke of an endeavour started by his group in Calcutta called My SME News which targets small and micro enterprises, sending out customised information for 11 micro-industries through text messages in the local language. They also plan to launch a voice platform soon.<br />Mobile payments brand mChek started an initiative on similar lines in Bangalore. The company uses its SMS-based mobile payment technology, which is embedded on all new Airtel and Docomo SIM cards, to enable slum dwellers to access banking and explore micro-finance options through micro-finance institution Grameen Koota.<br />Valerie Rozycki, head of strategic initiatives at mChek, said, “Access to low-cost banking over the mobile and being enabled with safe ways to save and convenient ways to make payments is life-changing for these customers. This is a sustainable business model to serve the un-banked and under-banked. So, these services will continue to thrive."</p>
<p>Let’s raise our mobile phones to that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/handy-origins-of-the-winds-of-change'>https://cis-india.org/news/handy-origins-of-the-winds-of-change</a>
</p>
No publisherradhaTelecom2011-04-02T14:59:01ZNews ItemPushing the buttons for social change
https://cis-india.org/news/pushing-the-buttons-for-social-change
<b>IMMENSE POTENTIAL: With its myriad applications, a mobile phone can be used as an instrument of social change. Meet on how mobile technology can be a power tool to this end - An article in The Hindu on 01st September 2009</b>
<p>BANGALORE: We have all seen the popular television advertisement that claims that mobile phone technology can be much more than a communication device and be used as a powerful tool for social change.</p>
<p>Here is a platform that brings together technology enthusiasts and non-governmental organisations, working in various social sectors, to drive this change.</p>
<p>The one-day camp, Mobile Tech 4 Social Change, to be held on September 4, aims at exploring the power of mobile technology to advance social change goals.</p>
<p>Organised by the Centre for Internet and Studies, in collaboration with Women’s Learning Partnership, Mobile Monday and Mobile Active, it will include informative and interactive sessions on the subject.</p>
<p>It will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Mother Tekla Auditorium on Brunton Road.</p>
<p>Participating NGOs will discuss problems and different ways to use, deploy, develop and promote mobile technology in health, advocacy, economic development, environment, human rights, and citizen media to name a few areas.</p>
<p>According to the Cellular Operators’ Association of India, there has been a growth in the number of subscribers by 1.86 per cent in July 2009 in the metros alone.</p>
<p>“A report on the impact of mobile phones in India reveals that Indian States with high mobile penetration can be expected to grow faster than those with lower mobile penetration rates, namely, 1.2 percentage points for every 10 per cent increase in the penetration rate.</p>
<p>This conference is a step in understanding how this can be taken forward,” says Sunil Abraham of the Centre for Internet and Studies. Participants for Mobile Tech 4 Social Change bar camps will include nonprofits, mobile applications developers, researchers, donors, intermediary organisations, and mobile operators.</p>
<p>While NGOs can gain information on various mobile applications and collaborate with those working in the core field of mobile technologies, enterprises can align their social responsibilities and use this potentially powerful medium.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/pushing-the-buttons-for-social-change'>https://cis-india.org/news/pushing-the-buttons-for-social-change</a>
</p>
No publisherradhaTelecom2011-04-02T15:09:10ZNews ItemChange is coming, thanks to the mobile
https://cis-india.org/news/change-is-coming-thanks-to-the-mobile
<b>An article by NT Balanarayan in the DNA on August 27th,'09</b>
<p>Bangalore: A simple mobile can do much more than all your friends or send you cricket alerts, this is not me saying it, this is what a bunch of mobile enthusiasts organised under the banner of different societies are trying to say with the upcoming unconference Mobile tech for Social Change.</p>
<p>The event which will be held in unconference style - read: casual atmosphere - will try to focus on mobile technology and applications which can help not just connect human beings, but also improve their lives. The event is being organised by Centre for Internet Society (CIS) in collaboration with Women's Learning Partnership, Mobile Monday Bangalore and MobileActive.org and will be held on September 1.</p>
<p>Sunil Abraham, executive director of CIS says that the event will bring together two groups of people and provide them a platform to interact and work on ideas.</p>
<p>"On one side, there are the NGOs and social entrepreneurs and on the other side there are the people who develop technology for mobile phones, the geeks and the hackers etc. So if this event works out like expected, there may be a mailing list in the future so that these people can keep in touch and help develop mobile technology that will help uplift the lives of people," he says.</p>
<p>So how important are mobile phones as a technology? According to Abraham, it might be the easiest way for an Indian to access the internet. "There are around 400 million mobile users in India against 80 million people who have occasional access to the internet. The mobile users end up using internet technology a lot in India through GRPS, EDGE and at times indirectly through SMS gateway. This platform however, needs more work so that much more can be provided to mobile users," he says.</p>
<p>The Mobile Monday initiative headed by Kesav Reddy, will be helping CIS to organise the event. "We are expecting not just NGOs and developers, but also, researchers, donors, intermediary organisations and mobile operators; all in all we are expecting 100-200 participants," he says.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/news/change-is-coming-thanks-to-the-mobile'>https://cis-india.org/news/change-is-coming-thanks-to-the-mobile</a>
</p>
No publisherradhaTelecom2011-04-02T15:09:50ZNews ItemPayal Malik
https://cis-india.org/telecom/knowledge-repository-on-internet-access/payal-malik
<b></b>
<p style="text-align: justify; ">Payal Malik is currently, Advisor to the Competition Commission of India. She has years of research experience in issues of competition and regulation in network industries like power, telecommunication and water. Her research collaborations have involved TRAI, Competition Commission of India, OECD, World Bank, and many others.</p>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/telecom/knowledge-repository-on-internet-access/payal-malik'>https://cis-india.org/telecom/knowledge-repository-on-internet-access/payal-malik</a>
</p>
No publisherpraskrishnaTelecom2012-10-12T05:50:30ZPageSagie Chetty- Report
https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/SC%20Study%20Tour%20Report%202009-11-08%20_2_.pdf
<b></b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/SC%20Study%20Tour%20Report%202009-11-08%20_2_.pdf'>https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/SC%20Study%20Tour%20Report%202009-11-08%20_2_.pdf</a>
</p>
No publisherradhaTelecomPublications2011-08-23T03:30:41ZFileTRAI response
https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/TRAI%20CP%20Response-Nov%2012%202009.pdf
<b></b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/TRAI%20CP%20Response-Nov%2012%202009.pdf'>https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/TRAI%20CP%20Response-Nov%2012%202009.pdf</a>
</p>
No publisherradhaTelecomPublications2011-08-23T03:32:08ZFileTRAI - consultation Q 1- 57
https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/TRAI%20CP-Q%201-57-Nov%2012%202009.pdf
<b></b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/TRAI%20CP-Q%201-57-Nov%2012%202009.pdf'>https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/TRAI%20CP-Q%201-57-Nov%2012%202009.pdf</a>
</p>
No publisherradhaTelecom2009-11-23T08:53:00ZFileTRAI
https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/TRAI%20consultation.jpg
<b></b>
<p>
For more details visit <a href='https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/TRAI%20consultation.jpg'>https://cis-india.org/telecom/publications/TRAI%20consultation.jpg</a>
</p>
No publisherradhaTelecom2009-11-23T08:51:35ZFile