E-Government & Digital Cities or Free zone Through Wireless Broadband
It is widely accepted worldwide that Information and Communication Technologies ICT are powerful tools with which to foster economic and social development. Technology should not be seen as an end in itself but as a way to empower people and promote social inclusion.Canadian telecom research center whose research focuses on the social and economic implications of the Internet: "Information technology, together with the ability to use it and adapt it, is the critical factor in generating and accessing wealth, Tele -health and Tele- medical power and knowledge in our time."The ICTs can make the world a better place, by helping to alleviate poverty, improving the delivery of education and health care services, and making governments more accessible and accountable to the people.The Millennium Development Goals set targets for poverty reduction, improvements in health and education, and protection of the environment.These are enormous challenges as the majority of the world population is cut off from information and communications technologies.
Seventy percent of the world's poor live in rural areas, where access to ICTs is scarce and a high percentage of the population is illiterate. Most of them have never made a telephone call.These disparities create a barrier between different sectors of the population - the "digital divide," which affects the capacity to communicate and to get access to information and knowledge. The "digital divide" between and within countries in the third world countries .
Some 60 percent of that population is concentrated in the so-called "developing economies," which, as we are all aware, are countries markedly lacking in telecommunications infrastructure and Internet access.
In fact, the 2002-2003 Global Information Technology Report, recently published by the World Economic Forum, in conjunction with the World Bank and INSEAD, indicates that in spite of impressive network growth rates verified in some LAC countries, mostly as a consequence of successful telecommunications liberalization and privatization programs in the 90's, there is still enormous pent-up demand for basic telecommunication services, such as community payphone booths, above all in the poor and marginalized areas where a considerable portion of the population lives.
Also, Internet access is limited primarily to the wealthy, creating a concentration of services in affluent urban areas.
According to IDC, by 2006 only six percent of the Latin American population will be hooked up to the Internet, compared to an estimated 70 percent in the United States.
The World Economic Forum's report also indicates that persisting structural constraints, such as low income and the high cost of Internet access services, combined with pervasive IT illiteracy, constitute a major barrier to digital inclusion, and together pose a significant threat to the full insertion of the 3rd world countries into the Knowledge Economy.
It is absolutely essential to break this pernicious, vicious circle and to work hard to extend the benefits of ICTs to the majority of the population in the Hemisphere.
Undoubtedly, low-cost wireless technologies open up new possibilities for connecting people living in remote rural communities, and also those living in underserved urban areas, as they offer developing countries an opportunity to "leap-frog" over wire line infrastructures to the forefront of communications.
A good example of that is an innovative e-goverment projects implemented in rural Area , India, , which enables villagers to access a computerized data-base of land records - without having to travel from their villages to get a printout of their land records.
The application was rolled over a store-and-forward wireless network for rural connectivity, known as DakNet. It combines physical means of transportation with wireless data transfer in order to extend the Internet connectivity provided by a hub to kiosks in surrounding villages. DakNet transmits data over short point-to-point links between public kiosks in each village and a 802.11b Mobile Access Point that is mounted on and powered by a vehicle. The current implementation uses a public government bus that transports the data to and from computers equipped with WiFi cards.The DakNet-enabled vehicle drives past a village kiosk where it picks up and drops off land record queries and responses. Each day, this is synchronized with a central database.
This solution also enables residents in such areas to use DakNet public kiosks to perform other transactions, such as sending e-mails to the Government asking it to attend to the community's complaints or sending store-and-forward videos to other recipients, for various purposes. This example clearly illustrates the potential, simplicity, and replication capability of solutions based on state-of-the-art, low-cost wireless technologies for integrating peripheral and geographically isolated communities in each country's productive system.
Besides setting aside license-exempt radio spectrum and directing the use of Universal Service Funds to help spreading connectivity in rural and remote parts of each country, or other parts that are underserved and have few or no choices in the marketplace, governments can also foster the development of sophisticated information systems and appropriate content to support the delivery of "on-line" government services to the citizenry.
e-government
Indeed, a government Internet presence can be a showcase of the potential and benefits of connectivity, providing an inspiration to others.As a matter of fact, when other sectors of the society are trying to come to grips with the concept of connectivity being promoted by their government, they will mostly look to the government to set an example. In going on-line, governments should analyze what information, services, and transactions are most likely to provide improved access to users.If governments already have a web presence, they should analyze how it is used, whether it is designed to accommodate users with low-speed connections, whether their web pages are easy to use, and whether there could be improvements by combining individual departments' and agencies' web sites into more consistent government .
Many governments are taking a "whole of government" approach to the setting of information management and technology standards, the provision of common infrastructure services, and the use (or reuse) of common processes or systems, in order to take advantage of economies of scope and scale as they move towards electronic services.
The rethinking of services should also consider opportunities to integrate information collection and processing, or to use common front-ends, forms, applications or back-end systems.
Integration of services can lead to significant savings, in addition to service delivery mechanisms that are more focused on users' needs.
A single site offering citizens a secure means of notifying multiple government departments of a change in their address, for example, could both appeal to clients and save each department the cost of developing this service.
In many instances, governments also invest in putting horizontal enabling services, which reach across departments and agencies, on-line.
These include the ability to run programs for receiving and making payments electronically, and to operate the entire supply chain, or purchasing and procurement systems, for government.
. They are all linked to the Internet and offer a variety of services such as:
* Certified copies of birth / death / marriage certificates;
* Tax exemption certificates;
* "No previous criminal record" certificates;
* Proof of elementary and high school education;
* Account statements on car payments; and
* Renewal of driving licenses
In a single transaction, an applicant can make the corresponding payment and immediately receive the desired and legally certified document
While e-government usually means the delivery of government services and information to the public using electronic means, e-governance allows direct participation of constituents in government activities.
It is vital that, as countries move to fuller and more inclusive models of democratization, they remain aware of opportunities to use the powers of connectivity to engage citizens directly in governance.
As pointed out earlier, it may be best to begin at the local level, where decisions have an immediate impact on citizens
Governments should work particularly closely with civil society to develop an understanding of what parts of government decision-making should most urgently be opened to the public, and to develop inclusive plans to begin to meet those needs.
While the relationship between citizens and governments are in some ways unique to each country, it will still be possible to learn from each other and to share best practices as a means of making progress in Iran .
Conclusion
As indicated earlier, the challenge we face is to extend to citizens inhabiting the most remote and underserved areas of developing nations the opportunities enjoyed by their fellow-countrymen in the cities.
A first step would be to provide access to government services, followed by other applications, such as distance education and tele-health care, then - or at the same time - e-commerce.
It is widely accepted worldwide that Information and Communication Technologies ICT are powerful tools with which to foster economic and social development. Technology should not be seen as an end in itself but as a way to empower people and promote social inclusion.Canadian telecom research center whose research focuses on the social and economic implications of the Internet: "Information technology, together with the ability to use it and adapt it, is the critical factor in generating and accessing wealth, Tele -health and Tele- medical power and knowledge in our time."The ICTs can make the world a better place, by helping to alleviate poverty, improving the delivery of education and health care services, and making governments more accessible and accountable to the people.The Millennium Development Goals set targets for poverty reduction, improvements in health and education, and protection of the environment.These are enormous challenges as the majority of the world population is cut off from information and communications technologies.
Seventy percent of the world's poor live in rural areas, where access to ICTs is scarce and a high percentage of the population is illiterate. Most of them have never made a telephone call.These disparities create a barrier between different sectors of the population - the "digital divide," which affects the capacity to communicate and to get access to information and knowledge. The "digital divide" between and within countries in the third world countries .
Some 60 percent of that population is concentrated in the so-called "developing economies," which, as we are all aware, are countries markedly lacking in telecommunications infrastructure and Internet access.
In fact, the 2002-2003 Global Information Technology Report, recently published by the World Economic Forum, in conjunction with the World Bank and INSEAD, indicates that in spite of impressive network growth rates verified in some LAC countries, mostly as a consequence of successful telecommunications liberalization and privatization programs in the 90's, there is still enormous pent-up demand for basic telecommunication services, such as community payphone booths, above all in the poor and marginalized areas where a considerable portion of the population lives.
Also, Internet access is limited primarily to the wealthy, creating a concentration of services in affluent urban areas.
According to IDC, by 2006 only six percent of the Latin American population will be hooked up to the Internet, compared to an estimated 70 percent in the United States.
The World Economic Forum's report also indicates that persisting structural constraints, such as low income and the high cost of Internet access services, combined with pervasive IT illiteracy, constitute a major barrier to digital inclusion, and together pose a significant threat to the full insertion of the 3rd world countries into the Knowledge Economy.
It is absolutely essential to break this pernicious, vicious circle and to work hard to extend the benefits of ICTs to the majority of the population in the Hemisphere.
Undoubtedly, low-cost wireless technologies open up new possibilities for connecting people living in remote rural communities, and also those living in underserved urban areas, as they offer developing countries an opportunity to "leap-frog" over wire line infrastructures to the forefront of communications.
A good example of that is an innovative e-goverment projects implemented in rural Area , India, , which enables villagers to access a computerized data-base of land records - without having to travel from their villages to get a printout of their land records.
The application was rolled over a store-and-forward wireless network for rural connectivity, known as DakNet. It combines physical means of transportation with wireless data transfer in order to extend the Internet connectivity provided by a hub to kiosks in surrounding villages. DakNet transmits data over short point-to-point links between public kiosks in each village and a 802.11b Mobile Access Point that is mounted on and powered by a vehicle. The current implementation uses a public government bus that transports the data to and from computers equipped with WiFi cards.The DakNet-enabled vehicle drives past a village kiosk where it picks up and drops off land record queries and responses. Each day, this is synchronized with a central database.
This solution also enables residents in such areas to use DakNet public kiosks to perform other transactions, such as sending e-mails to the Government asking it to attend to the community's complaints or sending store-and-forward videos to other recipients, for various purposes. This example clearly illustrates the potential, simplicity, and replication capability of solutions based on state-of-the-art, low-cost wireless technologies for integrating peripheral and geographically isolated communities in each country's productive system.
Besides setting aside license-exempt radio spectrum and directing the use of Universal Service Funds to help spreading connectivity in rural and remote parts of each country, or other parts that are underserved and have few or no choices in the marketplace, governments can also foster the development of sophisticated information systems and appropriate content to support the delivery of "on-line" government services to the citizenry.
e-government
Indeed, a government Internet presence can be a showcase of the potential and benefits of connectivity, providing an inspiration to others.As a matter of fact, when other sectors of the society are trying to come to grips with the concept of connectivity being promoted by their government, they will mostly look to the government to set an example. In going on-line, governments should analyze what information, services, and transactions are most likely to provide improved access to users.If governments already have a web presence, they should analyze how it is used, whether it is designed to accommodate users with low-speed connections, whether their web pages are easy to use, and whether there could be improvements by combining individual departments' and agencies' web sites into more consistent government .
Many governments are taking a "whole of government" approach to the setting of information management and technology standards, the provision of common infrastructure services, and the use (or reuse) of common processes or systems, in order to take advantage of economies of scope and scale as they move towards electronic services.
The rethinking of services should also consider opportunities to integrate information collection and processing, or to use common front-ends, forms, applications or back-end systems.
Integration of services can lead to significant savings, in addition to service delivery mechanisms that are more focused on users' needs.
A single site offering citizens a secure means of notifying multiple government departments of a change in their address, for example, could both appeal to clients and save each department the cost of developing this service.
In many instances, governments also invest in putting horizontal enabling services, which reach across departments and agencies, on-line.
These include the ability to run programs for receiving and making payments electronically, and to operate the entire supply chain, or purchasing and procurement systems, for government.
. They are all linked to the Internet and offer a variety of services such as:
* Certified copies of birth / death / marriage certificates;
* Tax exemption certificates;
* "No previous criminal record" certificates;
* Proof of elementary and high school education;
* Account statements on car payments; and
* Renewal of driving licenses
In a single transaction, an applicant can make the corresponding payment and immediately receive the desired and legally certified document
While e-government usually means the delivery of government services and information to the public using electronic means, e-governance allows direct participation of constituents in government activities.
It is vital that, as countries move to fuller and more inclusive models of democratization, they remain aware of opportunities to use the powers of connectivity to engage citizens directly in governance.
As pointed out earlier, it may be best to begin at the local level, where decisions have an immediate impact on citizens
Governments should work particularly closely with civil society to develop an understanding of what parts of government decision-making should most urgently be opened to the public, and to develop inclusive plans to begin to meet those needs.
While the relationship between citizens and governments are in some ways unique to each country, it will still be possible to learn from each other and to share best practices as a means of making progress in Iran .
Conclusion
As indicated earlier, the challenge we face is to extend to citizens inhabiting the most remote and underserved areas of developing nations the opportunities enjoyed by their fellow-countrymen in the cities.
A first step would be to provide access to government services, followed by other applications, such as distance education and tele-health care, then - or at the same time - e-commerce.
resorce:
resarcher mehdi sadeghi
20/03/1386
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