Rural WiMax & Solar Cyber-Kiosks: Bridging the Digital Divide

Food, clothes, shelter and bandwidth are becoming the necessities for rural India. Long range wireless for data and voice connectivity is being considered as viable and affordable solution for rural India since few years now. This paper highlights how can WiMAX technologies be harnessed with solar powered, fully-loaded informational cyber-kiosks in rural areas with extended economic opportunity, improved nutrition and healthcare, healthy environments, education, and other components of a rewarding and sustainable livelihood of poor. Reviews the existing infrastructure and information dissemination activities using ICT. Proposes a feasible architecture for implementation of solar cyber-kiosks in rural villages using latest n-computing technologies on WiMAX platform. Discuses the behavioral impact of solar powered kiosk model on rural lives. Advocates the development and use of tailor-made e-repository for the deprived society. Says that the proposed model will be a gateway to rural p...