India to offer free broadband within a couple years

[aneeshm]

But if this succeeds, the effects of this are going to be mind-bogglingly huge. I've noticed that we Indians have a tendency of sucking all the value we can out of the free flow of information. After all, it was an Indian (Commissioner Pravin Lal) who once famously said:

"Beware he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master."

(I love SMAC )

If this is done concurrently with the other plans to bring all governance information which is supposed to be publicly available online, and to make governmental services reliably available online, then it, combined with the Right to Information Act, has the potential to work the miracle of actually making the government directly accountable to people. The improvement in governance will be dramatic if this happens.

And that will be the beginning of the ascent of India to prosperity.











What most people don't realise is that if it wants, the government of India has the resources and the authority to fix the problems of power, water, roads, and other infrastructure within a span of five years if it wants to. The problem is a lack of political will, and the corruption of the system itself. Even if the government at the centre wants change to happen, the lover levels resist it, due to plain inertia. The only way this resistance can be broken is by putting the neck of everyone who is responsible on the line, by making them directly publicly accountable.

And this can do that.

[MRT144]

mind bogglingly huge as in, half of india still will have huge problems despite everyone having internet?

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by MRT144
mind bogglingly huge as in, half of india still will have huge problems despite everyone having internet?

That's precisely my point - that this will act as a huge catalyst in getting those other problems fixed.

[Drake Tungsten]

How is free internet access going to teach people to read or help the desperately poor earn enough money to buy the computer necessary to use the internet?

[MRT144]

Originally posted by aneeshm


That's precisely my point - that this will act as a huge catalyst in getting those other problems fixed.

cause the internet feeds people and reduces infant mortality and reduces outrage over a kiss.

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by MRT144


cause the internet feeds people and reduces infant mortality and reduces outrage over a kiss.

No. Because it makes the people responsible for infant mortality, and for distribution problems, directly accountable to the people.

[MRT144]

Originally posted by aneeshm


No. Because it makes the people responsible for infant mortality, and for distribution problems, directly accountable to the people.

so people arent accountable to themselves now and the internet will? WTF?

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by MRT144


so people arent accountable to themselves now and the internet will? WTF?

Until the Right to Information act was passed, government officials were accountable, in theory, but because nobody could ever get any dirt on them, this accountability remained largely theoretical.

A combination of the RTI, the provision of governmental services online, and universal connectivity can work a revolution in the way governance functions, by realising this accountability.

I'm talking about the government and its officials, and the bureaucrats of the Administrative Service, not people at large.

Remember that the government has the resources and the authority to fix almost everything within five years, it just lacks the will.

[Maquiladora]

Originally posted by snoopy369
I think this is a good idea Free 'net access for all is an important element of any society's great leap forward into the information age

They built Oracle and slingshotted straight to Internet OMG!

[MRT144]

Originally posted by aneeshm


Until the Right to Information act was passed, government officials were accountable, in theory, but because nobody could ever get any dirt on them, this accountability remained largely theoretical.

A combination of the RTI, the provision of governmental services online, and universal connectivity can work a revolution in the way governance functions, by realising this accountability.

I'm talking about the government and its officials, and the bureaucrats of the Administrative Service, not people at large.

Remember that the government has the resources and the authority to fix almost everything within five years, it just lacks the will.

so politicians are killing babies? this is an amazing fact I just now learned on the internet.

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by MRT144


so politicians are killing babies? this is an amazing fact I just now learned on the internet.

No. But they, along with bureaucrats, are responsible for the conditions which lead to babies dying.

[MRT144]

Originally posted by aneeshm


No. But they, along with bureaucrats, are responsible for the conditions which lead to babies dying.

you mean they are impregnating indian women at alarming rates?

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
How is free internet access going to teach people to read or help the desperately poor earn enough money to buy the computer necessary to use the internet?

It won't. But you've missed the point - that the combination of the RTI, the internet, and free broadband connectivity will make the people responsible actually accountable for these things.

[snoopy369]

Free access to internet gives those marginal citizens, those who would like a better job or a better car or whatever, accesss to such where they might not have had it before. It may not immediately do a lot for the poorest of the poor; but if it lifts the lower middle class up a significant notch, that can be nothing but good for the economy as a whole, and eventually for the poorest as well (as there is less need to aid the lower middle class, and more wealth available for the poorest).

That in addition to the other benefits of an information economy, e.g. lower prices due to more informed competition, and higher education rates for all as education becomes easier to come by.

Thus does this slingshot them indeed, through the modern day Oracle (or Cisco, or Microsoft ... whatever... )

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by MRT144


you mean they are impregnating indian women at alarming rates?

No. But they are responsible for the neglect of governmental health services which could have provided care to these mothers.