Information technology: the last mile

Information technology has indeed broken the barriers of time and distance-what is often overlooked is that it has also added a few of its own. To read ink on paper, all it takes is literacy and light: to read text off a PC's monitor, it takes a great deal more. If ICT (information and communication technology) is to serve the rural poor in India, we need to take a close look at three crucial ingredients: needs, delivery mechanisms, and content. What information do those who live in villages need? Who has that information? When is it needed and in what form? So far, information services to villages have been largely supply-driven, and information flows largely unidirectional. The traditional channels such as radio, television, and print are partly responsible for this because being responsive to the clientele comes at a high cost. IT (information technology) has the potential to be different, but only if information providers are willing to be innovative; delivering the same content more quickly and cheaply may seem as though IT is being harnessed for rural development but amounts to only scratching the surface. If the technology is to be truly effective, we need a far better understanding of the information needs of rural areas. Delivery mechanisms have fared better than needs analysis or content: for many, this is what IT is all about. Communication infrastructure, be it wireless telephony, satellite broadcasting, or cable TV, continues to get better and remains the most visible proof of the advance of technology. What of the last mile? Literally, it means the terminal stretch of wire that finally connects a household, for example, to the network. In terms of information delivery, however, the last mile is not so much the physical connection as a neurological one: the decoding of messages by the brain. The last mile is words and images, and successful communication continues to depend on those being effective: the old-fashioned skills of good writing, racy, easy-to-understand, vivid, and relevant. The readers of TERI Newswire will surely miss the unique blend of experience, insight, and vision, laced with wit, that marked the earlier editorials. Fortunately, Dr Pachauri has indicated his wish to write occasional guest editorials on topics he feels very strongly about, and our readers can rest assured that it will not be long before he greets them once again.