Rural Riddle: Do Jobs Follow Broadband Access?
(Washington Post. 23/4/2009) President Obama has touted broadband as a means toward transforming rural and low-income areas, setting aside $7.2 billion in the stimulus plan to help create jobs and close the "digital divide." He has been joined in his support by a chorus of countries, including Australia, which recently said it would spend $31 billion laying fiber and other networks to get ahead in an emerging high-tech global economy.
Despite the support for publicly funded broadband networks -- and the push by private companies to jump into the fray -- some have questioned whether bringing high-speed Internet has a direct effect on jobs and the economy.
Many high-tech companies have heralded a January report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a research organization, that stated that an investment of $10 billion in broadband networks across the country would create nearly 500,000 jobs, including the hard-hat jobs digging trenches and laying fiber lines. Other positions would come from businesses that rise from high-tech innovation and better productivity, the report said.
But some economists have questioned such predictions, saying that bringing high-speed Internet to rural areas is much more complicated.
Read full article.
Despite the support for publicly funded broadband networks -- and the push by private companies to jump into the fray -- some have questioned whether bringing high-speed Internet has a direct effect on jobs and the economy.
Many high-tech companies have heralded a January report by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a research organization, that stated that an investment of $10 billion in broadband networks across the country would create nearly 500,000 jobs, including the hard-hat jobs digging trenches and laying fiber lines. Other positions would come from businesses that rise from high-tech innovation and better productivity, the report said.
But some economists have questioned such predictions, saying that bringing high-speed Internet to rural areas is much more complicated.
Read full article.
posted by Franz Martin at Friday, April 24, 2009
0 comments
El Sistema de información para agentes productivos del Mercado Agropecuario (
(Nokia Press release 8/4/09) - Nokia recently concluded the pilot phase of its pioneering Life Tools service in Maharashtra, India, and the results show that subscribers are reaping the benefits. Extensive feedback from actual subscribers revealed that the service had wide appeal, and connected with subscribers at both emotional and functional levels.
El Ministerio de Agricultura y el MS Swaminathan Research Foundation de India, firmaron en Chennai un convenio que busca introducir la innovación agraria a través de la conectividad en áreas rurales de ambos países, incluso por medio de la instalación de la tecnología inalámbrica WiFi y WiMax.
The appropriate application of ICTs and information such as a National Agricultural Information System requires a systemically developed strategic plan based on identifying and recognizing system wide organizational implications. This paper explains the implications of integrating ICTs in the Iranian agricultural research system. Based on related Iranian lessons learned which are explained in this research, some appropriate mechanisms for integrating ICTs in national agricultural research systems (NARS) were indicated.
