Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Geekcorps, techie Peace Corps

How do you bring the Internet to countries like Mali, where more than 70 percent of the population is illiterate and the telecommunications infrastructure barely exists? You use the radio. Equipped with dust-resistant PCs, digital audio broadcasting equipment and antennas assembled from salvage, local radio broadcasters are emerging as ersatz Internet service providers in the West African nation, thanks in part to a program initiated by <A HREF="http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-6043635.html?tag=zdnn.alert">Geekcorps, a U.S.-based not-for-profit organization</A> dedicated to cultivating high-tech skills and businesses in the world's emerging nations. While a host of multinational corporations and academics have announced plans to bring technology to the emerging world, Geekcorps has been on the ground in West Africa and other regions for more than five years, and its presence could potentially play a pivotal role in bridging the technological divide.

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