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A Closer Look at Rural Computing

This keynote by Kentaro Toyama at ICCC 2005 presents a critical view on the sustainability of rural computing initiatives in India. Toyama argues that while rural kiosks aim to bridge the digital divide, their business viability cannot solely depend on achieving sustainability. He emphasizes the need for a focus on long-term development impacts rather than just sustainability metrics. The discussion includes various successful kiosk models and explores the socio-economic conditions necessary for effective IT interventions in rural communities.

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A Closer Look at Rural Computing

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  1. A Closer Look at Rural Computing Kentaro Toyama Microsoft Research India 6th Feburary, ICCC 2005 Keynote at IIT-Kanpur

  2. an n-Logue kiosk in Maharashtra

  3. photos of Drishtee, n-Logue, ITC e-Choupal kiosks

  4. Government-sponsored lunches at a school in Tamil Nadu A well-water hand-pump in Madhya Pradesh A tractor and cart in Madhya Pradesh A field trip in Karnataka

  5. A saved okra crop saves a farmer US$3000 (Slide: Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala)

  6. Rs. 18000 a month! Monthly Revenue (INR) Villages data from Vivek Dhawan’s Masters thesis (IIT-B)

  7. 600,000 villages 6 villages/day x 365 days/year » 274 yrs The fastest growing kiosk project (ITC’s e-choupal) would take…

  8. e-choupal kiosk in Kodia, Madhya Pradesh

  9. VSAT for kiosk in Kodia, Madhya Pradesh n-Logue corDECT wireless tower

  10. Kannada Prabha website

  11. Absolute minimum cost of a PC… Keyboard/mouse: $15 CRT display: $60 Power supply: $15 Disk: $40 Memory: $10 for 100MB Other silicon: $30 Total: ~$200 Processor: $30 courtesy of Chuck Thacker, Microsoft distinguished engineer

  12. Absolute minimum cost of a PC… Keyboard/mouse: Rs. 300 CRT display: Rs. 2000 Power supply: Rs. 800 Disk: Rs. 2500 Memory: Rs. 1000 for 128MB Other silicon: Rs. 2500 Total: Rs. 10750 Processor: Rs. 1650 According to PC Quest, May 2004

  13. Needed to break even: $70-140/mo. Monthly Revenue (INR) Villages data from Vivek Dhawan’s Masters thesis (IIT-B)

  14. Sustainability as a business is the wrong focus for rural PC kiosk projects!

  15. This does not mean… • A rural PC kiosk can’t be viable as a business. • ICTs have no value in rural areas. • Investing in rural ICTs is a bad idea. • Sustainability wasn’t a worthwhile goal until now. • Sustainability still isn’t a worthwhile goal for a kiosk operator or agency.

  16. This does mean… • There is no single “killer app” for rural kiosks. • There is no single silver bullet to scale sustainable rural kiosks. • Scalable, sustainable, rural PC kiosks is a tempting mirage. • Sustainability, even when achieved, often does not make a dent in socio-economic conditions. • If we do invest in rural PC kiosk projects, the investment should go into something that lasts and will drive development!

  17. Villages that can sustain a connected PC Income Literacy &education Knowledge- based needs Infrastructure Economies of scale Villages that cannot sustain a connected PC

  18. Focus on Sustainability Villages that can sustain a connected PC Income Literacy &education Knowledge- based needs Infrastructure Economies of scale Villages that cannot sustain a connected PC

  19. Focus on Development Villages that can sustain a connected PC Income Literacy &education Knowledge- based needs Infrastructure Economies of scale Villages that cannot sustain a connected PC

  20. an Akshaya kiosk in Kerala

  21. a student taking typing lessons in a Maharashtra kiosk

  22. a kiosk operator running a Drishtee kiosk in Haryana

  23. a kiosk operator running an n-Logue kiosk near Tiruvallur

  24. Monthly Revenue (INR) Villages data from Vivek Dhawan’s Masters thesis (IIT-B)

  25. Other Possible Focuses for Rural IT • Improve on computer use in schools • Digitize panchayat administrations • Support NGOs in their work • Implement the back-end for e-government, once and for all • Assist with disaster management

  26. The connected PC is overkill for remote rural villages today.

  27. This does not mean… • There aren’t PCs in rural areas. • PCs should never be put in rural areas. • Rural villagers don’t want PCs. • PCs don’t solve actual problems in villages. • Rural villages won’t be able to afford PCs one day.

  28. This does mean… • Scaling rural PC kiosks to 600,000 villages is a dubious goal. • The total cost of a connected PC in a rural village may be too high for the value it delivers… • Especially beyond what phones can deliver • We should continue to look for other solutions… • E.g., Featherweight Computing

  29. LeapFrog LeapPad for healthcare education in Afghanistan

  30. Summary • “Sustainability of rural PC kiosks” is distracting us from main goal of development • Put effort into enduring contributions to development, e.g., education • Technology’s place is to support these efforts • Look for non-PC-based solutions in addition to PC-based solutions

  31. Education ¹ Information One more caveat…

  32. Education = Information + Human Attention

  33. Thank you!

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