I'd much rather see India Programs arrange such deals than waste time doing
things that normal editors can do themselves.
Ashwin
2012/4/11 Frederick FN Noronha फ्रेड्रिक नोरोन्या *فريدريك نورونيا <
fredericknoronha(a)gmail.com>
Wikipedia to be free on mobiles in Africa, Middle East
Maina Waruru
13 February 2012 | EN
[image: A mobile phone]
Millions in Africa and the Middle East will get free access to Wikipedia
via mobile phones
Flickr/whiteafrican
[NAIROBI] Millions of people in Africa and the Middle
East<http://www.scidev.net/en/middle-east-and-north-africa/>will be able to benefit
from free, unlimited
access <http://www.scidev.net/en/science-communication/open-access/> to
the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia through their mobile phone, starting
later this year.
The scheme targets the region's 70 million customers of the mobile network
provider Orange, who will be given free access to Wikipedia on their
internet-enabled 'smart' phones.
The deal struck between Orange and the Wikimedia Foundation, a non-profit
organisation that operates Wikipedia, will allow Orange customers to read
and download information from Wikipedia without the usual data usage
charges.
"Price is a strong barrier to people accessing the Internet, particularly
in Africa," said Vanessa Clarke, spokesperson for Orange.
But the project will face several challenges, according to local experts.
Catherine Ngahu, chair of the Kenya
ICT<http://www.scidev.net/en/new-technologies/icts/>Board;Board, said few people in the
region own a 'smart' phone that can connect
to the internet.
"Although there is increasing ownership of smart phones, there is still a
large number of people who cannot afford them," she told *SciDev.Net*.
"In order to widen reach, Orange should consider marketing lower cost smart
phones."
Michael Njuku of the Kenya Revenue Authority said obstacles will range
from low quality mobile handsets people own to a network provider's ability
to handle the increased Internet traffic as customers try to access
Wikipedia, sometimes millions at a time.
"Governments in Africa must also do more to ensure that poor quality
counterfeit gadgets are not imported into their countries," he said.
Clarke said the scheme will be rolled out in mid-2012, initially in about
eight countries, and by December some 20 countries will benefit.
She said between seven and 15 per cent of Orange customers in Africa and
the Middle East currently have phones that access the Internet, but the
company plans to increase the proportion to 50 per cent by 2015.
Kul Wadhwa, head of Mobile and Business Development at the Wikimedia
Foundation, said he expects the scheme to encourage more people in Africa
to read, contribute and download information from Wikipedia.
http://www.scidev.net/en/new-technologies/icts/news/wikipedia-to-be-free-on…
Wikipedia is the world's largest online encyclopaedia, maintained by a
global community of volunteers. It contains explanations of many scientific
terms and issues, and some have suggested it could be used to share
scientific
knowledge<http://www.scidev.net/en/science-communication/opinions/engage…ml>.
More mobile network operators are expected to follow suit in the coming
months, according to Wadhwa.
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Warm regards,
Ashwin Baindur
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