Question 10-2/2: Telecommunications for rural and remote areas STUDY GROUP 2

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INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

Document RGQ10-2/1/004-E 29 May 2006

TELECOMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENTBUREAU

ITU-D STUDY GROUPS English only

RAPPORTEUR'S GROUP MEETING ON QUESTION 10-2/1 - GENEVA, Could not find Date!

Question 10-2/2: Telecommunications for rural and remote areas

STUDY GROUP 2

SOURCE: BHUTAN

TITLE: ICT AND MEDIA CENTRES IN BHUTAN __________

Rukubji ICT and Media Center Abstract

With people at the centre of development, Bhutan will harness the benefits of ICT, both as an enabler and as an industry, to realize the Millennium Development Goals and towards enhancing Gross National Happiness.

Bhutan ICT White Paper, 20031.

The Royal Government of Bhutan has recognized the role of ICT towards transitioning Bhutan from an agrarian economy to a knowledge-based economy. Information is not just a necessity, but it is an essential part of good governance². It is the oxygen of a nation.

Introduction

Information and Communication Technology is fairly a recent development in Bhutan. This development has however created an information gap between rural and the urban settlements.

Information for all Bhutanese has been the policy of the Royal Government. Thus, need to bridge this information gap have drawn a major attention. Attempts for reducing the gap has already been made by Ministry of Information and Communications/BICMA in consultation with various national agencies and bodies and with support and cooperation from external agencies³.

The most recent development that led transformation of the livelihood of the general public of Bhutan was the introduction and launch of the national satellite television program on 20^th

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Contact Point: Mr. Kezang, Ministry of Information and Communications, Thimphu, Bhutan, tel: +975 2 322567, fax: +975 2 326180, e-mail: [email protected]

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1 ICT White paper was formulated in the year 2003 to serve as the basis for ICT development in Bhutan 2 Good governance document of Bhutan and UN Millennium goal emphasizes the importance of ICT

3 BICMA in coordination and assistance form ITU implemented ICTization of Schools and religious institutes.

Deaprtment of Information Technology cared out similar project in the year 2005 with the assistance and funding from the Government of India.

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February 2006. This development immediately initiated introduction of ICT and Media Centers in communities to provide rural inhabitants real time news and programmes via television and enable them to make best use of computer facilities.

Identification of the Community

Rukubji community under Wangdiphodrang Dzongkhag was identified by the Bhutan

Information, Communications and Media Authority (BICMA) as one of the places⁴⁴to establish ICT and Media Center. This center would benefit the community households⁵ to derive the potentials of the ICT and that of vast changing information and media age.

Rukubji, located at 27.5 degrees north latitude and 90.15 degrees east longitude is 2260 meters above sea level and is about 5 hours ride from the capital Thimphu. Farming is the main occupation of the people. The community has a primary school and a non formal learning center.

Reasons for Selecting Rukubji

The main reasons for selecting Rukubji at a first place for establishment of ICT and Media Center in Bhutan are

• the place is electrified

• it is accessible by motor road

• it is near to the capital Thimphu

• people live in close cluster

• it has a common gathering spot

• the place has limited access to information Each of the reasons above has been justified as below:-

REASON JUSTIFICATION

The place is electrified Computers and other electronic equipments require power supply for their operation

It is accessible by motor road

Equipments can be easily transported It is near to the Capital Monitoring of the project is easier People live in close

cluster

Distribution of the national television program to individual household require less cables and is more economical It has a common

gathering spot

Households can come and watch program or else work on computers at any time

The place has limited access to information

The project will give updated information to the common community people opening their eyes to the revolutionary information and media age

Project objectives

The main objective of the project was to give common people access to information and communication technology. This would bridge the information gap that exists between the urban ____________________

4 BICMA has identified 3 other communities and 2 schools for establishment of ICT and Media Centers.

5 Rukubji has 40 to 50 community households.

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and the rural areas. The Royal Government of Bhutan has already recognized ICT as the most important tool for it’s over all development as emphasized in the UN millennium development goal, “Develop a global partnership for development”.

The following were the main objectives of the project⁶

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• To give people access to real time news and information

• To impart basic training on ICT

• Strengthening of ICT training and human resource development

• Promoting computer awareness, literacy and proficiency

• To ensure equitable access to ICT and media services across the country

• Encourage the development of knowledge-based industries

• To create a “High-Tech habitat”

Project implementation

BICMA received 66 sets of Laptops⁷ from Japan Telecommunications in October 2005. Soon after their receipt operating system (Win XP professional), Microsoft office (Office 2003) and Dzongkha⁸ software were installed in them. Four of these laptops were taken to Rukubji to establish a Local Area Network (LAN). A shared printer was also connected to the LAN.

However, no internet facilities could be provided as the center does not have access to telephone facilities⁹.

The Bhutan Broadcasting Service (BBS) Television went nationwide on 20^th of February 2006 with formal launching of the National Satellite Television System¹⁰. This event embarked another historic moment in the history of the Bhutan’s media sector. Thus a project to provide daily news and live program to the people at the grass root level was very timely and crucial.

To achieve this, a 12 feet Satellite Dish Antenna was assembled and installed. A dual feed horn was provided to receive other free to air channels at different frequencies and polarisation. At present the system is set to receive only BBS program with good signal strength and quality.

Five connections have been provided- one at the center itself, one at the Non Formal Education center and three connections at individual households. Soon four to five additional free to air channels would be provided to all the community households¹¹.

The project also aimed in imparting training to the community people on basic computer operations. Ten days of training was given to the selected community people starting from switching on and off function of the computer. Typing and creating documents and saving them in appropriate folders and locations were imparted. They were also taught to type documents in Dzongkha. Within the short span of time the community people could draft documents in both Dzongkha and English, edit and format them and make ready for

Printing. It was surprising to see the eagerness and the potentials of the community people towards learning.

6 These objectives are in line with Bhutan Good Governance document, priorities areas in the Millennium Development Goals and Bhutan ICT policy and strategies

7 Out of 66 laptops, 4 have been taken to Rukubji for LAN setup. The remaining shall be used to setup other ICT and Media Centers.

8 Dzongkha is the national language of Bhutan.

9 Community has access to VoIP phone lines. However, VoIP lines are being replaced by more reliable technology. The community will have full access to telephone by the mid of the year 2006.

10 With assistance and funding from ITU, BBSC implemented the Satellite Television Project. A C band transponder of the INSAT 4A Satelite located at 83 degrees east has been hired.

11 BICMA is in the process of procuring more equipment and accessories

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Project Partnership and roles of Partners

Establishment of ICT and Media center in communities was a joint- project between Bhutan Information, Communications and Media Authority, Bhutan Broadcasting Service corporation, International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Japan Telecommunications mainly to provide ICT and Media facilities in communities. The roles played by each partners of the project are as given below.

1. BICMA being the regulatory body had the following responsibilities to carry out

• Identify communities for establishment of ICT and Media Centers in consultation with various national agencies and bodies

• provide internal logistics and necessary support to the project

• implement the project

• provide basic training in ICT especially in relation to computer operations

• monitor the project

2. Bhutan Broadcasting Service Corporation being the national Radio and Television service provider was responsible for

• providing 12 feet satellite dish antenna, a dual feed horn, a low noise block converter and a digital satellite receiver

• providing technical data and support to the project

3. International Telecommunications Union was responsible for providing

• Network switches, printers, cables and accessories

• Technical and general support to the project including the transportation of computers from Japan to Phuenstholing, Bhutan

4. Japan Telecommunications was responsible for providing 66 set of Laptops with minimum Pentium III specifications.

Project Sustainability

The replicability and sustainability of the community ICT and Media Center will depend upon its success in achieving a sense of local ownership and management¹². This will ensure that the centre provides information and services really needed by the community.

The pilot project after its completion was handed over to the community who would look after the equipments and perform periodical maintenance. The community would collect around Nu¹³

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15.00 to Nu 20.00 per household per month for its sustainability. The BICMA would monitor the project and its impact regularly.

Project Impact

Around 100 People gathered at the center to watch the live BBS program on television for the first time on the evening of 24 February 2006. There was happiness and excitement among the community people. It was on this day the blind community opened eyes to outside world and the information and communication revolutionary age. The project is expected to change the socio- economic lives of the community people. The smiling and happy faces of the community already reveal the success of the project. The photographs attached herewith as annex 1 are taken during the project implementation.

12 Offtg. Director BICMA briefed the community regarding the sustainability.

13 Ngultrum (Nu) is the currency of Bhutan. Nu44 is equivalent to 1 US dollar.

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ANNEX 1: PHOTOGRAPHS

Picture1: Community being trained on basic computer operations

Picture 2: Community youths practicing computer

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Picture 3: Community girls undergoing basic computer training course

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Picture 4: Computer learners along with BICMA instructor (centre)

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Picture 5: Satellite Dish antenna mounted after assembling

Picture 6: Allignment of Dish antenna being carried out

Picture 7: Digital Satellite Receiver being tuned to correct technical parameters

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Picture 8: Trying to Catch-up BBS Television Signal

Picture 9: BBS Television signal being received

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Picture 10: Community people watching Live BBS program

Picture 11: Community People watching Live BBS Program

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Picture 12: women and children enjoying the live program

Picture 13: Community watching live television program

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Picture 14: Offtg. Director (2

nd

from left) of BICMA addressing the people

Picture 15: Community People listening to the address of the Offtg Director

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Picture 16: A dinner hosted by the community to the staffs of BICMA

Picture 17: A dinner after completion of the Project

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Picture 18: Community people celebrate the success of the Project

Picture 19: Smile and happiness in every faces

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