Abstract:

Much attention goes towards using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to improve the lives of citizens in developing countries. Although telecenters (community internet access centers), which have become the bright "stars" in many e-development programs in Asian countries, do have a role to play in providing ‘higher’-end citizen services to people at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP) in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Thailand, telephones are the cheaper, immediate and ubiquitous tool for Asian governments to inform, transact and interact with almost 400 million of their most needy citizens.

Helani Galpaya's bio:

Helani Galpaya leads a regional collaboration with the National Regulatory Agencies (NRAs), National Statistical Organizations (NSOs) and operators in the SAARC and ASEAN regions to develop, collect and report comparable ICT and Telecom sector indicators. She is also engaged in a unique project that tests the ability of ICTs to increase product traceability in agricultural markets. She also leads a study that is quantifying transaction costs in agricultural markets and the potential for ICTs to reduce these costs. She also works with Dr Samarajiva to study how research influences the policy making process.

Before joining LIRNEasia, Helani worked at ICTA, the apex ICT policy-making body in Sri Lanka. Prior to that, in the US, she worked in the field of strategy consulting and financial services.

She has an MS in Technology and Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.