Digital Pulse - Ch 3 - Sec 2 - Africa Learning Channel

Development Issues: Technology, Education

Programme Summary

WorldSpace Foundation provides satellite broadcasting directly to radio and multi-media receivers at low cost in Africa.

Summary of ICT Initiatives

The flagship project, "Africa Learning Channel" delivers distance education and social development information via satellite to radios in rural and isolated regions of Africa. A collaboration with UNICEF brings multi-media social development and educational material to community information centres that have no phone lines and hence, no Internet connection in Sudan. In Bankilare, a community in Niger, the community has set up the Bankilare Community Information Center (CIC) for the broadcast of their local radio station. They supplement their local information with a translation of the national and worldwide information from the ALC WorldSpace broadcast.

In addition to the audio service, the ALC transmits text-based multimedia information such as web p[ages and CD-ROM content, targeting specific audiences in regions where Internet connections are unreliable and/or prohibitively expensive.

Observations

Endowed with 5% of the capacity on each of three WorldSpace satellites, WorldSpace Foundation has been working in Africa since 1999 and will soon begin its work in Asia/Pacific. The Foundation expects it work in Latin America and the Caribbean to begin in late 2002. WorldSpace Foundation produces the Africa Learning Channel by collecting programme content from African groups on a variety of topics and then post-producing the material for transmission on the satellite. In exchange, the foundation places digital receivers with partner groups at low cost, and ensures the dissemination of the groups' programming to a much wider audience than traditionally possible. The digital receivers are portable and can operate using batteries only. IN some areas, they have been successfully adapted to run on solar power. Currently (late 2000), the ALC has an estimated audience of 1.2 million people based on reports from partners in 21 African countries in which close to 1000 receivers have been placed.

Partners: UNICEF

Source:"WorldSpace Foundation and UNICEF's Operation Lifeline Sudan - Using Innovative Communication Technology for Social Development" and "The Bankilare Experience: An Example of a Successful Collaborative Effort to Bridge the Digital Divide Using New and Innovative Technologies" - both by Ros Tchwenko rtchwenk@worldspace.org, and the WorldSpace Foundation website.

For More Information Contact:

WorldSpace Foundation, 2400 N Street, NW, 5th Floor

Washington, DC 20037, USA.

Telephone: +1-202-861-2261

Facsimile: +1-202-861-6407

gmhillman@worldspace.org