The Grameenphone Community Information Center is a shared premise where rural people may access a wide-range of state of art services such as Internet, voice communications, video conferencing and other information services.

Set up with technical assistance from the GSM Association, Grameenphone Community Information Centers (GPCICs) are equipped with the minimum of a computer, a printer, a scanner, a webcam and an EDGE-enabled modem, to access the Internet using Grameenphone’s nation-wide EDGE connectivity.

The pilot project started in February 2006 with 16 CICs; today the project has become a massive operation with over 500 CICs operational in nearly 450 Upzilla’s. The short-term plan of this initiative is to establish at least one CIC in each of the 462 Upazilla’s. In the long-run Grameenphone plans to increase the number of CICs substantially so that very CIC can support the information needs of four adjacent villages.

GPCICs are designed to be run independently as small businesses by local entrepreneurs. The entrepreneurs are trained and are provided with continuous support from Grameenphone. To help the entrepreneurs earn a living, Community Information Centers also provide other Grameenphone services, such as payphones (again using Grameenphone's mobile network) and electronic recharges (Flexi load) for prepaid and postpaid mobile accounts.

This initiative by Grameenphone is in line with the company’s objective to serve local community needs.

These include:

• Bridging the “digital divide” by providing information access to rural people
• Alleviating poverty
• Educating the underserved and underprivileged on information-based services
• Building local entrepreneurships and improving capacity
• Creating employment opportunities for the unemployed youth

This initiative is part of Grameenphone’s drive to do something good for the rural community, which is a major portion of the population of the country.

CICs are a unique business model that has won appreciation from the International community, such as from the Washington Post, from UNDP, as well as the blessings of several International bodies like Katalyst and the GSMA.

The services available in the GPCICs include:

• Internet surfing and e-mailing
• Content on health, agriculture, etc.
• Locally relevant customized and open content
• Chatting with Voice, Picture
• Video conferencing
• Typing
• Scanning, Printing
• Commercial Mobile Call
• E-governance services
• GP value added services such as FlexiLoad, Ring tones downloading etc.
• E-Fax
• CD Writing
• Telemedicine services (to be introduced)
• Multimedia education for children (Meena Cartoon, courtesy of UNDP)

In order to achieve its vision, Grameenphone has united with different organizations and institutions, in various categories, as strategic partners. The rollout partners of Grameenphone in this initiative are Grameen Telecom, Society for Economic and Basic Advancement (SEBA), and Eagle, nationwide, and Kalikapur Daridro Kallan Sangsta (KDKS), Socio-Economic Development Association (SEDA), Karmakutir, Goriber Asroy, and SSTD Communication, divisionally. All of these organizations are Non-Governmental Developmental organizations working with the rural populace for the development of the individual and the community.

Noakhali Web, an on-line newspaper for the greater Noakhali and Community Portal; and Anovatec, a Health Service Provider (http://www.anovatechbd.com/), are also strategic partners of Grameenphone on the CIC project.

In addition, Grameenphone is working directly with international organizations like KATALYST and GSMA to make the initiative successful. Frequent programs and discussions are also held with UN bodies, such as UNDP, UNICEF and UNESCO, who share the common goal of making a significant contribution for the betterment of rural the mass.

This is an enormous endeavor undertaken by Grameenphone; and one that is possible to complete by Grameenphone alone. This is initiative that requires the cooperation and blessings of all governmental as well as other semi-governmental and private bodies and the support of the people from all sphere of life in Bangladesh.

More at http://www.grameenphone.com/index.php?id=86