Uganda designs computers for rurals

Mar 30, 2007

THE Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology, Alintuma Nsambu, together with an American, Mark Summer, have designed a computer for rural areas.

By Josephine Maseruka

THE Minister of State for Information and Communication Technology, Alintuma Nsambu, together with an American, Mark Summer, have designed a computer for rural areas.

The simplified Inveneo computer costs about $300(sh530,000). Its central processing unit is half the size of an ordinary Bible. The computer is powered by a motorcycle-size battery.

It is Internet-ready with wireless capabilities and has a solar panel, the size of a palm, for recharging the battery within 15 minutes.

Addressing journalists at the Media Centre on Wednesday, Nsambu said: “The tiny computer can run for three days without recharging, assuming the user works for eight hours per day. A conventional computer uses the same amount of electricity (energy) as six Inveneo computers.”

Nsambu said 5,000 computers are expected in the country by November and the project would begin in 2008.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});