The overall purpose of this project is to develop and test models for provision of access to modern information and communication services for alleviating poverty and the development of rural areas by means of GDC. This includes development and testing of sustainable new services, supported by modern telecommunication and information technology for the use by general people including poor farmers, organization and enterprises in the rural area at affordable cost. The project is expected to demonstrate the social and economic impact of provision of information and communication technologies and services in rural areas. Successful models through the programme could then be replicated at large scale in Bangladesh and other developing countries with similar conditions.

Broad Objectives

• Promote development of communication and ancillary services for freer flow of information and knowledge to accelerate social and economic development.
• Develop a network that would meet the communication needs of educational institutions, centers of higher learning, research institutions, non-government, government offices and individuals.
• Provide communication services that promote and support researchers, educators, planners, students, designers, news media, social activists and entrepreneurs, for improving their access to the national and global information.

• Familiarize the village people, particularly the young generation, with the use of computer and the Internet.
• Provide them computer training at a minimal price, and thus facilitate building up a computer literate generation in the country.
• Provide free e-mail services to teachers and students for educational purposes and to doctors and journalists for emergency purposes.
• Provide e-mail facilities for families having relatives staying abroad and local.
• Facilitate easier access to relevant market information e.g. prevalent market prices of specific products in different locations. This would help the village people to have better bargaining capacity in selling their produces.
• Provide computer compose and printing facilities at a low cost in rural areas.
• Enable students contact with educational/research institutions and libraries abroad.
• Organize IT workshop, seminars and exhibition in rural areas.
• Create IT related job opportunities.