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Nepal Content Country
Paper
Workshop on Internet : South Asian Realities and Opportunities
Dhaka, April 5-8, 1999
by
Rajib Subba rajib@nepalit.com
Secretary General
Computer Association of Nepal
Kathmandu, Nepal
Like most of the least developed countries, Internet access is confined with in a small group of people in Nepal too, dividing society into information have and have-not. Even for the people with access, the Internet lacks the content which is relevant to Nepal, as almost all the contents are available only in English.
Email is of course most widely used Internet application in Nepal. People are using Internet for accessing information, entertainment, education and research- although the specialized local contents are still in a nascent stage. Contents that are used widely are information and news.
The other applications of Internet such as e-commerce, tele-medicine and distant education are still a far fetched dream. Though computer entered not for research or for universities/schools but for counting the number of heads, boast today to have the latest technology at least in IT. However, there is an ample of space for further harnessing.
In the present context there is a lack of policy for Internet or Information Technology as well as regulations barring few legal provisions and committees.
This paper will try to shed lights on the current status of Internet content as a info- sharing and applications of the Internet. Further, few recommendations have been suggested for consideration.
1.1 General background of Nepal: Nepal, a landlocked country situated between China and India, with per capita income of about $220 per annum, is one of the poorest countries of the world. It has a population of 21 million, 90 % of which is living in the rural areas and is dependent on subsistence agriculture for the livelihood. Its rugged terrain, land locked nature, high rate of population growth (2.3%), limited resource endowments and weak institutions are basic impediments to its development. Agriculture is main contributer to the GDP and its growth rate is less than the rate of population growth. Nearly 40% the population lives under absolute poverty. Only about 40% of the population (above 15) are literate.
1.2 Why Nepalis use the Internet? Nepali Internet users have come a long way since the introduction of Internet (mid 1995) in Nepal. The transition from email only account to full Internet access was one of the remarkable technological imports into Nepal, even when there was no legal provision to allow private sectors participation in providing telecom services.
Mailing lists and e-zines have been extensively used for information exchange since early 90’s between non-resident Nepalis, even before Internet was introduced in Nepal. The Nepal Digest is the first electronic journal or e-zine established in 1992. Similarly Nepal list is the first mailing list.
A recent survey (Ref:5) found that out of all users 25% of users have email access whereas 75% have full Internet facility. Almost all use Internet for email whereas other purposes of use are browsing, information retrieval, entertainment, discussion list, on- line news. There is higher percentage (58%) of Internet usage in the private sector whereas 42% usage in INGOs/NGOs. Use of Internet in Government Organizations is almost negligible.
1.3 Patterns of growth: The growth of Internet in Nepal has been fastest due to commercial push by the private sector and aided by the availability of limited access. When Internet was introduced there were about 150 email addresses in Nepal which has gone up to 8000 with in five years. That means the number of Internet users have been increasing 150- 160 % per year. The number of Internet users have gone up by more than 50 times. Now there are three ISPs in the private sector and four major cities of the country have POPs.
1.4 Barriers to access: It is not only that Nepal lacks the information but what Nepal really lacks is a place where we can find the required information i.e. available information are not available, and is not posted due to control of information by the knowledge industry. That industry includes government, universities, professionals, publishers, and others who generate, process, or disseminate information, which is not easily available due to reasons like lack of awareness or commitment to share.
With the growing number of NGOs (more than ten thousand), the country has witnessed a proliferation of literature on development generated by government departments, NGOs, INGOs, and other development agencies, as well as donor agencies and their foreign advisors and consultants. Most of these literature are not formally published and difficult to track down.
In addition to these limitations, the most important barrier lies in financial barriers, including the costs of equipment and telecommunications usage. The price of a computer and access is beyond the means of most of the Nepalis.
Nepalis also face language barrier on the Internet as English is the common language and users need at least some fluency to use Internet. The lack of knowledge of English language deprive them from accessing the information from the Internet.
Cultural constraint is one of the prime barriers for that generation who fears technophobia. There is a tendency to resist new or foreign ideas as well.
Other media such as radio or TV have limitation of time which reflects on their programs as well. Radio, with more than 1.2 million receivers (1996), may have reached all over Nepal (90% of the population) but TV, with 179,000 receivers (1996), is still have to widen access from 42% at present. These media have advantage of reach but the user have the limited control on the access unlike the Web. Web has the potentiality also to expand print media’s content, which is limited in hard copy editions.
With the introduction of Internet in Nepal, World Wide Web is being used basically for the news and information. The irony of small as well as poor countries like Nepal is that they always have to stay away from the main stream of the world affairs. In other words, any news or information about Nepal still struggles hard to get into the main stream. When one of the newspapers of Nepal went on to be uploaded on the Internet for the first time, the scene changed significantly. News from Nepal is no more a rare object to access from any where around the globe.
Now most of the popular newspapers and magazines in Nepali as well as English are available on the Internet. Further a Internet magazine has been started to promote the entertainment culture and provide information about Nepali film industry. The Web has given all the possible space for different languages of Nepal. Radio Nepal on the Internet can be tuned on to listen to the news on other languages as well.
There are few Content Service Providers and some are based in the United States. Tourism industry is one of the major users which have Web presence though most of the information are in a shape of brochureware. Mercantile Office Systems’ www.south-asia.com is very popular Internet destination about Nepal. It has been catering its services to different sectors like GOs, INGOs, NGOs, news papers, Embassies, hotels, schools etc.
A good start has been made through the capacity building among NGOs, and innovative approach to information sharing. Three such on-line platforms are active in Nepal.
3.1 Indreni, the Nepali Intranet: Indreni (the Nepali word for Rainbow), is an on-line information service. Indreni covers different sectors like Development, Business, Entertainment, News and Current Affairs, Education, Culture, and Public information. The Indreni is managed by Nepal Internet Users Group (registered in April 1998) and funded by ICIMOD under IDRC- ENP project for piloting and testing of an Intranet service within Nepal. Currently there are 300 members of NIUG.
3.2 NepalNet: In 1997, with the financial support from the International Development Research Center (IDRC) of Canada and technical support of the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a group of about 30 Nepali institutions came together to form a Web based forum called NepalNet. The primary objective is to share available human, technical and information resources using the Internet, with the focus on the socioeconomic, agricultural, environmental, and sustainable development sectors of Nepal. NepalNet was launched on September 17, 1998. Now the NGO sector have gained access to the Internet, and started to contribute content through NepalNet.
3.3. HealthNet Nepal: This is a network for global communication in health through email by HealthNet organization of SatelLife. Through a computer network called HealthNet, SatelLife delivers communication and information services to the health care workers primarily on clinical research/practice and public health for doctors, researchers and health professionals. HealthNet provides email services, electronic conference, electronic publications, access to medical databases. Currently there are about 500 users of HealthNet in Nepal.
It's been a long time since Parliament in 1996 passed the bill that would allow private sector to operate various telecommunication services. Though allowed to operate unofficially, it was only recently that the government finally opened up the Internet, including 11 other telecom services, to the private sector. However, there is no provision for providing Internet phone service yet.
A high level national IT development working committee has been formed since the beginning of this year at National Planning Commission under the chairmanship of Vice chairman. According to NPC, the committee will mainly focus its work areas to asses the current status of IT in Nepal, prepare IT master plan and suggest means of its implementation, explore financial and technological resources for the development of IT and put forward opinion and suggestions concerning the IT sector.
Then, four sub-committees have been formed, each headed by a member of the NPC covering the following aspects: Technology Park Development (both real and virtual), Cyber-Laws, Institutional Framework and Infrastructure Development.
Hopefully, government will come up with Internet policy along with the content policy as well.
A more widespread geographical access across Nepal would open up huge and exciting possibilities, for sharing and utilizing more localized research knowledge. This would lead to greater effectiveness of decentralization policies already being applied within the country, and would empower rural communities with a greater degree of indigenous knowledge content and information resources available for sharing. This would reflect the great diversity in terms of ethnicity, geography and gender perspective found across Nepal, and lead to more balanced and equitable information sharing.
There is a serious need to develop infrastructure, increase efficiency in legislation formulation and implementation, and change of attitude. The opening of the mind of regulators/government, telecommunications, ISPs and business people are quite essential. Reduction of all round cost and development in application/content is also very important. As the benefits of the growth of Internet is not limited to any particular sector, a paradigm shift in the mindset of the country itself is very necessary to bear the fruit.
5.1. Create a info-place: Government should immediately start activities to establish a National Information Centre where any information could be made available in English as well as Nepali through Internet as well as local access. This can also be used for exchange of emails.
5.2. Improve quality: The telephone lines should have less faults with better services. Further, the waiting time to get a phone line must be reduced. The tele-density should increase from current 1 per 100. ISPs should also improve their networks.
5.3. Cost: Government should help reduce the cost of PCs. Further, it should introduce a loan purchase computer scheme at least for its employees in GOs as well as semi- GOs who count the largest job force. NTA should be able to regulate the ISPs and PSTN to provide their services at reasonable cost.
5.4. Create awareness: In Nepal, the state of awareness and use of Internet is among the lowest in LDCs. Despite the availability of a comparatively strong telecommunications infrastructure funded by foreign aid, Nepal has been unable to assimilate Internet, probably due to lack of awareness and knowledge of benefits as well as prompt government cooperation. In this regard organizations like CAN, NIUG may be mobilized.
5.5. Support urban users: In Nepal, most of the computers and Internet subscribers are based in Kathmandu. In addition to the costly access and lack of local content through local access, they are all dressed up but nowhere to go. Intranet may be the best possible way to cater them.
5.6. Internet in Education: In Nepal, Internet is not able to reach to the premises of the schools, colleges and universities. Ministry of Education with INGOs like UNICEF, UNDP should start a project so that educational institutions get Internet access at a reasonable cost. This way will help IT culture to flourish as well.
5.7. Easy PC <Nepali initiative>: The initiative to standardize of Nepali font and implementation of standard in computers by Nepali font standardization committee as well as Nepali in Unicode will help to boost the Nepali content on the Internet as well as use of PC and Internet will increase.
5.8. Internet policy: The Ministry of Information and Communication or NTA should initiate a study on Internet, aimed at developing an Internet policy and strategy. Make a special analysis on how Internet could be used to benefit different sectors like health, agriculture, tourism, education, NGOs, state administration, personal communication, marketing and sales of products and services, etc.
5.9. Electronic commerce: Electronic commerce will put Nepalese entrepreneurs in the same footing as the ones located in the more advantageous locations, as the distance and location will have little meaning in the future. The Nepal Rastra Bank (Central Bank of Nepal) should take a lead in promoting and implementing electronic payment systems including EDI (Electronic data Interchange) System. Provision of required, reasonably priced infrastructure on demand at sufficient quality should be ensured.
5.10. Rural Information Centers (RIC): Public Call Office (PCO)s provide communication facilities in rural areas. Some of them could be developed towards RICs. The National Planning Commission should initiate a study to outline development of RICs in rural areas.
5.11. Developing capability: In a resource scarce country like Nepal, well trained human resource is an asset. The compulsory computer education will help make this a reality. In addition to the production of IT engineers, other graduates should be encouraged to get trained in IT. Training on Web technologies should be introduced.
5.12. Mobilise VDCs: There are almost 4000 VDCs, out of which 1200 have a phone line. In addition to this all VDCs have a technical officer. These technical officers can be trained in IT and could help the rural mass in the RICs.
5.13. Looking at the number of sectors of information to deal with, a National Co- ordinating Agency must be instituted. The Agency will have to promote implementation of various applications of Internet like electronic commerce, distance education and Tele-medicine.
5.14. Increase political as well as social will and commitment.
5.15. Multi-lingual content: South Asia is a region of diverse languages where different languages are spoken in each others’ countries. The content developed in one country will help some sector of people in other countries. It is certain that the content in the regional languages will help the people of this region.
5.16. Content ratings: It is time consuming to track down the required information from the Internet. And when one does, it may not be relevant or desired information at all. The ratings of the Websites will certainly help to navigate properly. Further, the CSP should encourage to update the Websites frequently.
The Internet is an advanced technology with all the accompanying promises and threats to change society which needs those promises fulfilled. But Nepal still is not promoting the Internet by establishing schemes to encourage educational institutions and businesses to connect. Currently Nepal is looking into the issue of Internet indicating that Nepal is not ignoring this global phenomena but wrestling to put itself in the global IT map.