 There is a revolution in the making in rural Bangladesh, with computer-based information being brought within easy access of far-flung communities.In Bangladesh, the poor do not generally have access to current information resources. They do not own TV or radio and cannot buy newspapers. Owing to low literacy, they do not have adequate access to government extension services like ICT kiosks or telecenters which have proved to be successful in various parts of the world and have helped in bridging the social, economic and information gap.
The country has come up with a unique idea called the ‘Mobile Lady'. It evolved when the need was felt to create a human-friendly interface that networked community members and fostered accessibility and interactive communication.
Two aspects of the Bangladeshi society were brought into play to achieve the objective - mobile phones and women. The female gender was chosen owing to her access to households and easy communication with family members.
Mobile phones have a higher penetration in Bangladesh than fixed phones. Covering some 85 percent of the country, they are also cheaper to use. Bangladesh has been one of the world's fastest growing cellular markets, with a mobile penetration rate of more than 26 percent while the number of mobile phone users is estimated to increase to 70 million by the end of 2011.
The basic aim of the Mobile Lady is to provide livelihood information to the villagers. It is a help desk with a searchable database in the Bangla language. It also has a directory that gives users service provider information.
Once questions are put to the help desk, a person at the service end answers the query using the special computerized knowledge base created by the internet service providers. Most frequently asked queries are about where to access certain services. The help desk person searches an online directory, created through an extensive and rigorous survey and suggests relevant options. The users pay for the phone call only. The service providers update both the knowledge base and directory database regularly to provide latest information to its users.
The ‘Info Lady' was created when telecenters proved to be successful. It was believed that if a bundle of services were integrated with a rural lady who had easy access to her society, the telecenters would become mobile and would provide quick information to the villagers. It was also be a source of livelihood for the rural women.
The service charges 3-4 Takkas per minute. If the mobile lady pays per minute charge to a mobile phone operator, the rest of the profit becomes her income. She connects with the help desk to contact the expert through Instant Messenger (IM) like Skype or Google Talk, for which there is no per minute charge to the mobile phone operator.
The Info lady also offers traditional commercial phone services, doorstep photography services and internet-based livelihood information services, including voice calls through the Internet within and outside the country.
Studies are being conducted to make the Info Lady more accessible to the villagers. Plans are underway to provide the lady with laptops so that she can go to the fields to talk to farmers and converse with housewives or physically handicapped people inside houses, thus dramatically enhancing the outreach concept and also increasing her income.
She can show video and animation files on various livelihood and awareness related issues at people's homes, which can be an effective tool in raising awareness on health, education, human rights, and other issues.
Estimates show that an info lady's monthly gross profit can range between 75 and 200 dollars, depending on her mobility and demand for services, thus resolving her financial viability problems.
By enabling the creation of knowledge networks in the villages of rural Bangladesh, the Info Lady is making high-end information available in a cheaper and effective manner. The poverty of information is indeed on a reverse track. 
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