Full coverage: access

16.05.2008 Solar power and biofuels could be used to power base stations in developing countries, says the mobile industry trade body, GSM Association. The rising price of diesel and remote locations are making people look at alternative ways to reduce energy and make base stations more self-sustaining.

15.05.2008 Walter Fust, former Director-General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) envisions a knowledge safety net where human values go beyond the statistics of the Gross National Product (GNP). He acknowledges telecentre.org’s work in enabling people to benefit from the transformative power of technology.

13.05.2008 Indian zoos will soon be globally connected thanks to an agreement with the US-based International Species Information System. The world's largest online database on zoo animals has historic data for several thousands of species, enables better collection and sharing of information and makes animal exchange easier.

06.05.2008 Open Access to Knowledge and Information: Scholarly Literature and Digital Library Initiatives – the South Asian Scenario released by UNESCO, New Delhi illustrates South Asian initiatives to bridge knowledge gaps in the region. The book is a useful source for building up necessary information infrastructure for development.

05.05.2008 Celebrating 15 years of its creation, World Wide Web’s inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee believes that the technology is still in a nascent stage. However, as a result of various international collaborations, the Web would be of great help in managing the planet.

30.04.2008 Telecentres can serve as an important source of information by connecting citizens with the government. A growing trend of commercialisation is however treating such entitlements as services and citizens as customers who pay service charges, writes research associate Vivek Vaidyanathan.

22.04.2008 Kristine Pearson, chief executive of Freeplay Foundation, is the creator of the wind-up and solar-powered Lifeline radio, the first such initiative in the humanitarian sector. She emphasises the use of renewable and clean energy solutions to improve access to communication for the poor.

07.04.2008 A little-known mobile helpline can help you find a blood donor in times of crises. All it takes is an SMS. The messages access an online database of 45,000 blood donors in 300 Indian towns and cities.

04.04.2008 The use of mobile phone communication for various services is rapidly growing in developing countries. The innovative use of mobile phones in the Philippines: lessons for Africa, a report published by Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency identifies the best practices and lessons learnt from the Philippines experience.

04.04.2008 ASSOCHAM is organising 5th National Summit on e-Governance “Serving the Common Man through e-Governance: Sharing of Experience” on April 18, 2008 in New Delhi, India. The summit aims to provide a platform for various stakeholders from government and industry to share their experiences.

02.04.2008 The online platform of Nabuur connects people in villages in developing countries to neighbours across the world - people who are committed to solving their problems and want to take action. People in need of knowledge and new ideas can now meet, share and act together towards improving lives.

01.04.2008 For rural populace who could not buy mobile phones due to power shortage, a new system has been launched in Uganda that enables people to charge phones by using a bicycle. The system can charge eight phones per hour by riding a bicycle.

19.03.2008 Punarbhava, a new interactive website for the disabled, is a one-stop cyber shop for information, aids, appliances, research and employment. The portal was recently launched at the Indian capital, along with the release of a new screen reader software for the blind.

21.02.2008 An Indian private telecom company, Reliance Communications has announced Gramada Phone scheme in Karnataka with the aim of connecting rural areas and enabling people to take advantage of various economic opportunities. Under the scheme, 200,000 connections are to be provided by the end of March at a nominal price.

20.02.2008 A new service launched by the Romanian Ministry of Communication and Information Technology will enable self-employed and family businesses to register and carry out other procedures online. The service will also improve relations between local administrations and private entrepreneurs across rural areas and small cities.

14.02.2008 Nokia’s navigations tools will soon render the paper maps sold on streets a thing of the past. Wallets, cash, credit cards will all be replaced by a mobile wallet. Location-based social networking will allow the user to find out the exact location of his or her buddies.

31.01.2008 The next generation Nokia cell phone, loaded with software that turns text on photographed documents into speech, promises to make lives convenient for the visually impaired.

15.01.2008 The Delhi Cabinet in the Indian capital has given the nod to online Project Jeevan that would provide a single-window facility on various government services to its citizens. To begin with, computerised kiosks will enable easy payment of various bills, issue of forms, applications and information brochures.

11.01.2008 The United Nations Secretary-General emphasised the role of international community in overcoming the digital divide at a recent UNGAID meeting at Nevada. The need is to reverse the lack of access to information and communication technology (ICT) that separates poor communities from affluent ones in developing nations.

10.01.2008 A new mobile phone service launched in Singapore aims to extend the reach of government e-services to the public and business users on the move.