It will also allow the CMC to step up its production of radio browsing programmes in which the presenters research selected topics on the Internet and then take the listener on an audio journey through cyberspace, visiting web sites and explaining the contents directly in the local languages. Radio browsing familiarizes whole communities with ICTs and offers mass, indirect access to online resources.

“The high speed connection is going to make a huge difference”, Mr Sylla enthused. Previously, the only connectivity in Koutiala, Mali’s second largest industrial city, was via dial-up. Problems with the telephone connection frequently meant that people had to make a 300 kilometre round trip to send an email. All of Koutiala CMC’s digital productions, including a newspaper in N’ko, had to be sent on CD by bus to Bamako, the capital. “These laborious, costly and time-consuming methods of connecting with the outside world will now be replaced by the click of a mouse”, noted Mr Sylla.

The high speed link has been installed by Helen Keller International Mali (HKI) in the framework of CMC cooperation in Mali between UNESCO and HKI. Under the agreement, HKI focuses on providing good connectivity and some computers to new and existing CMCs, while UNESCO provides training and support for local content production.