Sri Lanka virtual villages: a socio-anthropological and technological study on the “Last Mile”

This project served two pilot “virtual villages” in Sri Lanka, studying key socio-anthropological and technological issues, while ensuring a ‘last mile’ ICT delivery and information sharing at the rural community level. Through telecentres, Sarvodaya has pioneered ICT4D engagements with rural communities in Sri Lanka since 1996. Since 2003, state sponsored (World Bank funded) eSriLanka program started scaling up telecentres around the country. Leadership and caste differences became a deciding factor in villagers accessing the Telehut. Innovative connectivity options were used to overcome barriers in setting up WiFi hotspots (technology which was not available in the country at the inception of the project)