Internet helps developing countries' news balance<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Internet can help balance the flow of
\ninformation in developing countries, where western media
\ncurrently dominates information sources, a United Nations officer
\nsaid yesterday.<\/p>\n
Many media in developing countries have joined the Internet,
\nenabling people around the world to get information straight from
\nlocal sources, said Madanmohan Rao, communication director at the
\nNew York-based UN Inter Press Service.<\/p>\n
He made the statement during an interview with The Jakarta
\nPost during a break at the first World Wide Web Internet
\nConference, Workshops and Trade Show at Grand Hyatt Hotel, which
\nruns until Friday.<\/p>\n
\"Now that many newspapers in developing countries have joined
\nthe Internet, people in the North can get a better picture about
\nthe countries in the South,\" said Rao, an Indian citizen.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, two publications already have homepages on the
\nWorld Wide Web. Kompas can be reached at http:\/\/www.vic.com\/kompas
\nand Republika at http:\/\/republika.co.id.<\/p>\n
Rao said that the use of the Internet in developing countries
\nis more strategic and more important than its function in
\ndeveloped countries.<\/p>\n
In the West, the Internet is a mass market tool used for
\npersonal needs, individual conferences, casual communication as
\nwell as for buying movie tickets and ordering meals. In
\ndeveloping countries, he said, the Internet is mainly used for
\nacademic, business, organization and government purposes.<\/p>\n
\"The Internet has become a good tool for business and
\neducation,\" he said, adding that 12 universities in India are
\nconnected to the Internet.<\/p>\n
The commercial use of the Internet in Indonesia was introduced
\nin September 1994. Today there are six companies providing access
\nto the Internet: Indonet, Radnet, Idola, IBM, Cybernet and
\nVissionnet.<\/p>\n
Dikdik Hasan, director of PT Sistelindo Mitralintas, a joint
\nventure of USI IBM, Sisindosat of Indosat and Kopegtel of Telkom,
\nsaid that since beginning operations in mid-1995, IBM has
\nregistered some 2,000 users.<\/p>\n
Another big provider, PT Rahajasa Media Internet, or Radnet,
\nhas 3,000 users, according to Eko Priyono, the company's managing
\ndirector.<\/p>\n
Idola, said the company's senior engineer Cristophorus
\nTambunan, has around 1,000 users.<\/p>\n
Despite mounting interest in the Internet, the Internet
\nConference, the first of its kind in the country, attracted only
\nseveral dozen people on its opening day.<\/p>\n
\"Too bad it's not attracting more people,\" Tambunan sighed,
\nadding that the public may not be aware of the trade show outside
\nthe Hyatt auditorium, which is featuring a number of companies,
\nincluding three Internet providers.<\/p>\n
Today's keynote speakers will be Les Goldschlager, a computer
\nscience professor at Monash University in Melbourne, who will
\ntalk about cybermalls and commercial webs; and Richard Frawley,
\nthe manager of strategic opportunities at Cisco Systems,
\nAustralia, who is scheduled to discuss the convergence of
\ntechnology. (sim)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/internet-helps-developing-countries-news-balance-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}