Telecommunication Development - The Third Way

The object of this paper is to define the third way to telecommunication development-suitable to the needs and conditions of the third world countries. It begins with some comments on the present conditions, identifies probable reasons, and defines three fundamental goals for developing nations: 1) rural communication,2) accessibility, and 3) reliability. Based on these three goals, the third way to telecommunication development is defined. The need for an autonomous telecommunication technology center for the third world is emphasized, and its objectives, organization, and implementation are discussed. A need for new systems geared toward increasing accessibility is advocated. As an example, a new concept called the "community telephone" is introduced, which is designed to provide reliable telecommunication service to a small community. At the end, it is concluded that the real implication of the third way to telecommunication development can only be analyzed through further interdisciplinary research.