<P>
Gaspar, <BR>
you have expressed it very Succintly ! <BR>
On Convergence : <BR>
Andy Carvin's blog post celebrating his christmas gift an "ipod" & another article in the Register offer a good clue . iPOD coupled with ubquitious access to computing power as offered by Telecentres can make computing affordable & perhaps offer telecentre a new lease of life. <BR>
<BR>
Read my post : <BR>
http://apiap.blogspot.com/2005/01/will-ipod-bring-new-lease-of-life-to.html<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
On Local Content : <BR>
<BR>
http://www.epica-awards.com/assets/epica/2004/winners/film/flv/11071.htm<BR>
<BR>
This small award winning video clip by a Italian Telecom company expresses very well. <BR>
<BR>
<BR>
But before this happens we need to protect from the Mullahs, The Dictators & the Moral Police , The latest to join in is the Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. <BR>
Read :<BR>
http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2005/2/1/technology/10058218&sec=technology<BR>
<BR>
The failure to understand the very consumer centric business of telecentre where your quest is just a click away. Telecentres in Asian & African countries have been worst affected. <BR>
<BR>
I hope those of you making it to the summit can make it part of the agenda on how to protect the telecentres. <BR>
<BR>
Best Wishes <BR>
<BR>
Ashish Saboo<BR>
President<BR>
Association of Public Internet Access Provider (ApiAp)<BR>
The voice of independent Cyber cafe operators<BR>
URL: http://www.apiap.cybernook.net<BR>
Blog: http://apiap.blogspot.com<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
On Sun, 23 Jan 2005 Gáspár Mátyás wrote :<BR>
>Dictators don't like Internet acces places for all, because it makes<BR>
>international and external information flows uncontrollable. Internet<BR>
>cafes and other types of public or community Internet access places will<BR>
>exist after 10 years, but functions may gradually change depending on<BR>
>new technology (convergence) and content (the role of local, community<BR>
>content will grow). Matyas Gaspar, Hungary<BR>
><BR>
>-----Original Message-----<BR>
> From: telecentres-bounces@wsis-cs.org<BR>
>[mailto:telecentres-bounces@wsis-cs.org] On Behalf Of Taran Rampersad<BR>
>Sent: Sunday, January 23, 2005 2:05 AM<BR>
>To: telecentres@wsis-cs.org<BR>
>Subject: Re: [Telecentres] Re: Will Internet Cafés Survive 10 More<BR>
>Years?<BR>
><BR>
>Shah Jahan Bhatti wrote:<BR>
><BR>
> > With the arrival of Internet, cyber cafe's mushroomed in my city but<BR>
> > due to shameful dictations of mullahs in government most of them<BR>
> > closed down. I don't think remaing ones will survive another ten years<BR>
> > from now. Dictators in the poor countries don't like them to grow. Can<BR>
> > any body tell me why?<BR>
> > M. Shah Jahan Bhatti<BR>
><BR>
>Who owns the telecommunication company or companies? In Trinidad and<BR>
>Tobago, it remains a government controlled monopoly (TSTT: 51%<BR>
>government, 49% Cable and Wireless) despite promises of competition for<BR>
>over 5 years. Some centers were even sued by TSTT because they were<BR>
>using Voice over IP (VoIP).<BR>
><BR>
>That's one reason. I suppose with consistent earnings at over 15% at<BR>
>times, the government isn't too interested in helping people out. Think<BR>
>of it as a 'technology tax'.<BR>
><BR>
>Other reasons... well, I can speculate on the region you are in, but I<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
><BR>
><BR>
</P>
Ashish Saboo
<br>
President
<br>
Association of Public Internet Access Provider (ApiAp)
<br>
The voice of independent Cyber cafe operators
<br>
URL: http://www.apiap.cybernook.net
<br>
Blog: http://apiap.blogspot.com
<br>
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