Memorandum

To: Veri Bold, President of the Democratic Republic of Berkmania

From: The Ministry of Telecommunications

Re: E-Berkmania – Why Infrastructure Matters Most

Our Ministry applauds you for initiating the e-Berkmania project. Your task is, undoubtedly, a difficult one; and we see it as our duty to help you focus the project’s priorities so that we may jointly find the most appropriate way forward for our country.

We urge you to consider allocating a significant portion, if not all, of the budget to the establishment and development of a robust and widespread communications infrastructure that will connect our people, stimulate economic growth and raise living standards. Using technology we must make the physical distances that separate our villages and towns almost meaningless. We can dramatically improve access to government services, educational opportunities and humanitarian relief efforts. 

Improved, if not universal, access and connectivity are goals we cannot afford to compromise on. This goal must form the central part of our short-term as well as medium and long-term plans. In the process of enabling our people to empower themselves, our country will achieve it’s full potential. Investment in infrastructure is the appropriate point of intervention to establish virtuous circles that will drive our country forward into it’s “digital future”.

How? We must aim for a reliable and sound local and long distance telephone service in both urban and rural areas as well improved data-connectivity both nationally and internationally. The establishment of better satellite networks and transmission links, the public deployment of a national fiber optic or microwave backbone, the establishment of a domestic IXP (pulling our domestic ISPs together) to ensure more economical data exchange, and the creation and promotion of local tele-centers, should be at the top of our development agenda. The use of wireless technologies will also enable us to “leapfrog” to the newest and best technologies at low cost, and this will be crucial in the large tracts of rural land that form a significant part of our country – auctioning of wireless spectrum will also bring finances in to the state coffers and we can use these for further projects.

Reducing barriers to access: These measures will reduce the significant and varied barriers of access faced by our fellow Berkmanians, coming as they do from different geographic, social and economic backgrounds. Only a concerted effort from the government along these lines will enable our citizens of all backgrounds to reap the many benefits that ICTs have to offer.

Tapping into pre-existing resources: Enabling people to achieve access means that the enormous existing global resources are open and available to them immediately. Pre-existing online content and knowledge may be accessed and utilized; previous successful entrepreneurial efforts can be replicated in the local context with little risk. Users will be able to leverage the “network effects” inherent in the global network at no additional cost.

Building local capacity and content: Enabling connectivity provides the impetus for the increased awareness and ability needed within the community to use the technology. It provides the structure on which local capacity and content can be developed.

Virtuous circles: We must face the facts. People will be unwilling to overcome even the most basic access barriers unless and until they are able to derive sufficient value from gaining access. Increased value is derived from locally relevant content as well as applications that are both useful and appropriate. Local people who understand local needs and solutions can best develop these. This will be possible only if these people can experiment with and further develop and influence existing technologies. Enabling local access and wider connectivity will result in the creation of virtuous circles. The value of connectivity will be increased, and access will drive content and entrepreneurship. It will be an economically rational decision for every person to strive to gain access to the network.

Neutrality: Unlike the other potential measures put before you, building infrastructure is value neutral. By deploying technologies widely and appropriately we cannot be accused of favoring certain approaches to development. We will enable people to empower themselves rather than pre-determining a path for them.

Visibility and excitement: It is important that we get our people excited about technology. This will drive them to participate and contribute. Infrastructure will give our policies visibility and be a necessary signal and invitation to each of our citizens to get involved in the changes occurring around them.

Do not foreclose with law: It is important that we do not foreclose emerging technologies by enacting too many laws and regulations prematurely. These will develop in time from within the community, as the appropriate balance between social, financial, architectural and legal restraints on behavior are found. We must deploy the infrastructure and then wait to see what problems arise before we legislate. Our government can be most activist by not being activist in this situation.

We must act now: This is our chance to not only catch up with the rest of the world but also forge ahead by enunciating our strengths and working on our weaknesses. The development and deployment of appropriate technologies is, and must be, our first priority. There is no room for compromise.

Thank you! We look forward to hearing from you shortly.

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