This bus is equipped with Internet enabled computer consoles where apart from communicating over IM or email one can explore and watch their favorite videos, songs and even movie sequence on Youtube, pictures of their movie idols , friends and relatives on Picasaweb, locate their house or city on Google Maps, etc. Google’s aim is to provide the Internet experience to the rural people who are not so connected with technology or Internet in particular. But it is not clear how Google expects these computer or Internet challenged folks (I might be not all accurate here) to use and operate the computer. Even if one expects the screen to be touch enabled, it would be very difficult to let people know how the use and operate the interface. But again, who knows they might catch up with it soon as they did with the Hole in the Wall, the tremendously successful and award winning study done by NIIT few years ago.
After touring Tamil Nadu’s 15 towns for one and half months, The Internet Bus is now heading to the Karnataka state and below is the bus route:
| 04 May Kolar | 21 May Bhadravati | 15 Jun Gadag |
| 06 May Mandya | 24 May Chikmanglur | 18 Jun Hospet |
| 08 May Mysore | 27 May Tumkur | |
| 13 May Bengaluru | 30 May Chitradurga | |
| 14 May Hassan | 02 Jun Davangere | |
| 17 May Arsikere | 06 Jun Hubli-Dharwad | |
| 18 May Shimoga | 11 Jun Belgaum |
You can also track the route and updates on their website here. The bus will tour Karnataka for around a month and half. It’s good that they are touring smaller towns more than the IT capital of India Bengaluru (Bangalore). It’s the smaller towns and villages where this awareness is required than for the most pampered, spoilt lads of Bangalore city.
Google’s intention of education people about advantages of technology may be wise but it wouldn’t go along with numerous and humongous problems with farmers suicide, shortage of fertilizers and basic amenities like food, water and power to the rural people of Karnataka. There have even problems with implementing city infrastructure inBangalore and other cities of Karnataka.
If you or your friend could catch it in your town do provide your experiences or links to any videos or photos here. It would certainly be an enchanting experience for all my village friends. Even if you could not catch the bus you can always leave your comments here.
(Image Courtesy Google)
