Integrated device project to be completed by Dec

The pilot project of integrating a personal computer, television and telephone (PCTVT) is likely to be completed by December. The pilot project is being jointly executed by IIIT, Hyderabad, the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, and a Korean company.

According to P Raghuveer, additional secretary, information technology and communication department, Government of Andhra Pradesh: "The cost of the integrated device would be around Rs 12,000 and will help people, especially those in the rural areas, who do not have accessibility to technology."

Participating in a discussion on 'Simplifying e-governance -- Is it possible?' today, Raghuveer said that the Andhra Pradesh government's broadband project is likely to get underway by the end of next year. The government has already received expression of interests (EoIs) from 25 companies and will finalise the agency by the end of this month.

Raghuveer said that the existing 2 mbps bandwidth was not sufficient for many applications and the government proposes to increase the broadband connectivity.

"The government has decided to increase the broadband connectivity from the state headquarters to the district headquarters to 10 GB bandwidth. From the district headquarters to the mandal level, the bandwidth will be 1 GB and from the mandal level to the village level, it will be 100 mbps," he said.

Raghuveer also said that the connectivity till the mandal level would be completed by the end of next year. The whole project will be completed by the end of 2006, he said. The government also proposes to introduce 22,000 rural seva delivery points (RSDPs) in the villages across the state in the next two years.

"The RSDPs will help in delivering services to people in the rural areas who do not have access to technology. It will also provide services to the people in line with the e-Seva centres," he said.

Outlining the essentials for a good e-governance system, he said that the issues of connectivity, axis devices, e-literacy, content and services have to be provided.

"The success rate of projects that have been undertaken by various governments has only been between 15 per cent and 20 per cent. If one was to look at the failures rather than outlining the success of projects, then the e-governance initiatives would be more successful," he said.

S Angiah, business development manager of Adobe Systems India Private Limited, said: "In the years to come, most governments will follow what the Election Commission and the Census departments have been doing by converting data into PDF format files for easier accessibility to the general public."