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babs
Joined: Oct 28, 2002
Posts: 3 (view all)
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Gender & Age: Male & 35
Country: Nigeria
Province/State: Lagos
City: Ikeja
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Mobile Internet Unit: Nigeria
January 23, 2003 - 02:30 AM
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IN its bid to promote rapid internet penetration among its populace, the Federal Government plans to build 12 Mobile Internet Units (MIU) across the six geopolitical zones as it initially takes off.
The Mobile Internet Units which will be a Mercedes Benz luxury bus converted to an internet laboratory with a Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) mounted on top with Personal Computers (PCs), had its first phase launched in Abuja.
Confirming the development to The Guardian, Prof. Gabriel Ajayi, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said the implementation bureau for the National Policy on Information Technology said the vehicle will be assembled locally.
The design of the internet laboratory will be done by the Science and Technology Ministry while the PCs will be solely Zinox computers, the first internationally certified made in Nigeria computer.
Explaining the project further, Ajayi said it was borne out of the determination by government to equip its citizenry with IT skills to enable them participate favourably in the information age.
The MIUs, according to the NITADA chief will employ well-skilled IT personnel, who will train people in different areas. The MIU will stay at least two weeks in each location in a particular geopolitical zone before moving to another.
Besides promoting computer literacy for those in rural areas, it will also provide internet access using the VSAT mounted on them.
He said the project would soon be launched, adding that the introduction of the MIU will be one of numerous gestures during the yuletide.
Already, he mentioned that plans are on to provide a VSAT facility each for broad based internet access in all states of the federation.
Ajayi, however, lamented that of the more than 650 million internet users in the world, Nigeria, despite its large population has less than one million internet users with most of them living in Lagos.
After the launch of the Mobile Internet Unit in Abuja, it was learnt that states will also be encouraged to take part in the project to increase the number.
Commenting on the choice of Zinox Computers as the PCs to be installed in the internet laboratory, Ajayi said it is an attempt to encourage local content and expertise for the development of the IT industry.
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Terri Willard
Joined: Jul 27, 2001
Posts: 370 (view all)
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Gender & Age: Female, 40
Country: Canada
Province/State: Manitoba
City: Winnipeg
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Malaysian Mobile Internet Unit
January 23, 2003 - 03:28 AM
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Great to hear that this is moving ahead in Nigeria. One of the first examples of this approach to expanding Internet use in rural areas came from Malaysia. The Malaysian Mobile Internet Unit program started in 1999 and has won numerous awards since then. It's great to see other countries picking up on these ideas and expanding them!!!
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Maja Andjelkovic
Joined: Sep 23, 2002
Posts: 12 (view all)
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Country: Canada
Province/State: Ontario
City: Ottawa
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Mauritius Cyber Caravan
February 6, 2003 - 09:46 AM
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Another mobile internet unit is traveling around Mauritius:
Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2710319.stm
Upwardly mobile
(Mauritius') expansion into the high-tech sector doesn't end with just infrastructure.
Huge investment is being put into education from primary level to university level, and even for those who haven't even seen a computer before.
The Cyber Caravan has been fitted out for the job, making its daily rounds visiting villages in the more remote parts of Mauritius.
The converted coach is now a computer studies class for housewives, children, unemployed people and the disabled.
"We use the caravan to conduct Information Communications Technology (ICT) awareness courses," said Vikash Heeralaul from the National Computer Board.
"We've got nine PCs in a network and we teach basic computing and word processing.
"Up to now we have been to 170 community centres to create ICT awareness among the people of Mauritius.
"Some people don't know how to use a computer, but we teach them the basics and then word processing."
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S Woodside
Joined: Oct 26, 2002
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Country: Canada
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amazing
February 21, 2003 - 02:41 AM
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I'm amazed that this works. It would seem like having a bus visit every month or two would not be of all that much practical value. What exactly do people get out of the experience?
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Martin Kuplens-Ewart
Joined: Sep 29, 2000
Posts: 81 (view all)
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Gender & Age: Male, 29
Country: Canada
Province/State: Ontario
City: Toronto
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TIG Bus
February 21, 2003 - 02:49 AM
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I wanna do a TIG MIU, and do a global tour with it 
[wanted to do it since February 2001!]
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