Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

UN Recommends WiFi for Poor Countries

Posted by michael on from the it-takes-a-village dept.

amerinese writes "UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan is now advocating that third-world countries be given funds to implement WiFi technology and 'leapfrog into the future.'"

11 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. Poor countries... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Let's get them food before Internet.

    1. Re:Poor countries... by Spacelord · · Score: 5, Insightful

      3rd world countries don't need food, they need an economy where they get fair prices for their goods, so they can take care of themselves and don't have to rely on foreign aid.

      Making internet available to them allows them to be at least somewhat competitive on the global market.

    2. Re:Poor countries... by damgx · · Score: 5, Insightful

      In most 'poor' countries the problem in not the amount of food, but the distribution of it.

      These so called poor countries often have large money making industries to buy food, or food is being donated to the country. Perhaps a better way to put it is. Food is being donated to the people, but often does not reach the people, but only the rich. (The seem to own all the weapons).

      Money made from industries, such as diamonds, oile, timber and others goes in the pockets of the few in power, again the army is a prime candidate.

      There are exceptions like North Corea, where stupidity and nature makes up a crule reality.

      Look at your own country. (I asume USA). There _is_ food to go around, yet some goes hungry.

      Distribution of wealth is the real problem.

      --
      I only read slash. for the articles...
    3. Re:Poor countries... by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day, teach a man how to fish..." well, you know the rest.

      Sending food to needy nations accomplishes nothing besides feeding those people for a day or two. That may be all well and good if they're hit by a draught or locusts, but it's not a long term solution. In fact,
      - Food aid helps local warlords, with bribes paid to them to let the shipments pass. Ever wonder why the warlords' jeeps with machine guns are called 'technicals'? Because they are paid for with UN bribe money, the outlay of which is entered into the ledgers as local 'technical assistance'.
      - Food aid sometimes puts local farmers out of business. If the local market is flooded with free food, how are they going to compete with that?

      Does that mean we should stop sending food? No... but we should be more careful about how, where and when we send it. We can just keep sending them food and they'll be in the same mess a hundred years from now.

      The thing to do is help them develop their industry, infrastructure, in other words helping them help themselves. I don't know if Internet infrastructure is on top of the list of things they need, but it sure is a better idea than just sending them more food and going back to sleep.

      As to the idea that the 3rd world doesn't even have an industry and so has no need for an IT infrastructure: look again. There might even be room for their own IT industry, look at India where one region built the infrastructure, education and business climate from the ground up, resulting in thousands of IT firms in a multimillion dollar business. That business helps the rest of the region, creating demand for other goods and services, thereby creating more jobs and improving the overall standard of living there. This might just be what the rest of the 3rd world needs.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
  2. wireless develpment in third world countries by DrRiffic · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Since these countries don't already have ancient, pre-existing infrastructure, they can roll out wireless faster than if they had a bunch of copper lines to every home.

    look at estonia; ten years ago they were communist bloc peasants, now they're the fastest growing tech sector in eastern europe.

  3. How about real industry first? by capt.Hij · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It would be much more realistic to establish real industries first and then create an environment that would support an information infrastructure. If an high tech infrasture is put in place before industrial, educational, and commercial infrastructures are put in place then it would essential just go to waste. For example, there is no reason to have IT in Africa when they don't even have a textile industry in place that could benefit from more efficient practices.

  4. This does not make sense by dybdahl · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Since when is it cheaper to use wireless than to plug in a wire? Price is very important in 3rd world countries, and I don't think they are willing to pay for the luxury of not having to put a cable into the computer.

    Besides most laptop come with a wired ethernet adaptor, but not with WiFi. Therefore, a wire-based system makes a lot more sense.

  5. Re:Wifi uh ? by carm$y$ · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Their logic is strange:
    Laptops are rare in the developing world and the money to buy the needed electronic gear is scarce.

    Then
    Wi-Fi allows users of laptop computers and other gadgets to access the Internet without electric cords or phone jacks.

    Ok, i'd like one of those laptops powered over WiFi...

    --
    -- No sig today
  6. Translation by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Insightful

    From the article :

    Pat Gelsinger, chief technology officer for Intel Corp, the world's biggest computer chip maker, said Wi-Fi was cost-effective, growing rapidly around the world and particularly appropriate for developing nations because it was neither government-regulated nor licensed and was built using industry-wide and worldwide standards.

    Read : Pat Gelsinger, CTO for Intel Corp, recently visited Kofi Annan to do a sales pitch that went successfully.

    Hey Pat, how about Intel donates some WiFi equipment to third world countries, to jumpstart the market if nothing else ?

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  7. Technology is not a panacea by BenjyD · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why is IT always seen as some sort of miracle fix? Kids aren't learning in schools? Give them all computers to 'learn' on. People are living below the poverty line? Give them WiFi, that'll fix their economy.

    What's that big tall white thing? Oh, it's an ivory tower.

  8. Ignorance of the stupid idiots here by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This fscking shit argument of food for third world countries instead of technology is the most ignorant oppressive crap I see consistently being spouted on slashdot (of all places).

    I am (originally) from a "third world" aka developing country. I grew up in the "third world" let me tell you this with authority. THEY DO NOT NEED DONATIONS OF FOOD. What they need is (in order of importance)

    a) get rid of corruption /serial killer dictators
    c) roads
    b) capital to buy equipment (farming/industry)
    c) cheap communications (internet, cell phones) e) free trade so their people can buy technology cheaper
    d) reforms in education system (no memorization)
    f) health care
    g) security
    h) Snoop Doggy Dogg
    i) food

    Donating food is the worst thing you can do to a country (except when there is an actual emergency/disaster)

    Also what I hate is people running around claiming the govt. donates so much to the third world and now they dont have jobs/medicare etc. here. That's plain BS. The ultra miniscule drop of your tax that goes to "foreign aid" is not having any effect on any economy .. yours or theirs.