[icernet] How To Go Digital Without Power

[Arul Selvan]

  Saroha, a remote village in Uttar Pradesh with no electricity, is on 
the countrys digital map. Here, Media Lab Asia (MLA) has set up its 
demonstration, proof-of-concept, for the rural communications system 
under its Digital Gangetic Plain (DGP) project. Part of the MLAs 
802.Rural thrust, the corridor will reach Allahabad over the next six 
months to complete a digital triangle. This is part of MLAs living 
digital village labs programme for rural communications system.

Researchers of MLA point out that all the other technologies are 
primarily built in the West and are not cost-effective for rural areas. 
Connecting rural areas is a big challenge because subscribers are 
geographically dispersed, sparsely located and economically weak. As a 
result, few telecom companies want to venture into these villages 
because the purchasing power in these villages is not enough to recover 
the cost of connecting them.

Source:
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=30134