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Wednesday 3rd May 2006

Intel commits $1bn for developing nations 11:51AM, Wednesday 3rd May 2006

Intel has committed itself to spending $1bn over the next five years to provide better access to technology in developing countries.

According to Intel, its World Ahead Program will seek to boost education by providing training for teachers, promote WiMAX trials for wireless broadband Net access and develop 'fully featured, affordable PCs tailored to regional needs' (following on from the Intel-based Community PC developed for India, as part of its recent Discover the PC initiative).

Specifically, Intel's stated goals are to train 10 million teachers on technology in education, reaching up to 1 billion students. As part of the programme, Intel is also donating 100,000 PCs to classrooms.

'Decades of providing technology



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in growing volume and at decreasing costs have driven great gains for developing nations, communities and people worldwide, but there is still much to do,' said Paul Otellini, Intel's president and CEO. 'While affordability of PCs is crucial, the World Ahead Program goes beyond simple cost to develop the right systems tailored to local needs, drive critical connectivity, cultivate sustainable local capabilities and provide the quality education needed to make a meaningful difference in people's lives.'

More information about the World Ahead Program can be found at www.intel.com/go/worldahead

Another person working in this area is MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte. He recently took on critics of his One Laptop Per Child project, outlining a roadmap during his keynote at LinuxWorld Boston that could see machines in distribution in the third world for $50 by 2010.

Negroponte quipped that with Intel and Microsoft nay-saying his efforts, he was more convinced than ever he was on to something. The project has already secured some $29m in funding from the likes of AMD, Red Hat and even Murdoch's News Corp.

Alun Williams

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