Audio Internet – netECHO

A company called InternetSpeech has developed ‘netECHO’ - an audio browser for the web. Users can use their phones to call in and surf the web, search, check emails or shop online.

Currently, the service’s lowest contract is around $14 per month, with a $20 joining fee. Whilst this is clearly too expensive for many people in Africa, the technology itself is the interesting part – in terms of future potential for Africa.

With the release of the $20 phone, the ‘People’s phone’, and the massive success of mobile phones over the last decade of mobile phones in Africa, perhaps this latest development has the potential to connect people to the web who would not have access otherwise. People will be able to access the web without the necessity of more expensive technology such as computers.

The other reason that this technology could be useful in Africa is that only a phone connection is required – not a connection to the Internet itself. With the increasing coverage of mobile phone networks, but not ISP connections, this technology could break down that particular barrier to the web.

It would also remove literacy barriers, although language barriers could still be a problem – unless the service was expanded to translate text (if it doesn’t already), which does seem quite feasible.

However, some interesting points are that firstly it appears that websites must each be enabled before they can be read by the technology. This is something that the owner of the website must purchase. So although it integrates fully with any existing site, and no amendments are required, it appears it relies on website owners investing in the technology to make it viable to consumers.

Perhaps the biggest downfall in terms of the technology’s potential in Africa though, is that the technology has been patented. The technology that InternetSpeech has developed is the technology, which translate pages into audio, without including banners, adverts and other visual features. This could mean that prices for the technology will not reduce to rates affordable for many in Africa – at least not any time soon.

Relevant Links

The People’s Phone - http://www.nextbillion.net/newsroom/2008/03/13/peoples-phone-is-introduced-just-20-a-piece

netECHO
http://www.internetspeech.com
http://www.nextbillion.net/blogs/2008/04/07/a-digital-alladins-lamp-for-the-bop
http://pcworld.about.com/news/Nov082000id34312.htm