Study Buddy

A SELF UPDATING KIT WHICH PROVIDES EDUCATIONAL LOCAL WIFI FOR RURAL STUDENTS

Current Scenario
More mobile phones (800M+) than toilets
63% people face quality &reliability issues ( voice drops, connection breaks)
88% cite expensiveness of mobile data as top barrier to adopting mobile broadband
Internet penetration:
Low (15% as compared to ~50% in China, Brazil, Egypt, Nigeria)
Unreliable internet connectivity as one of 2 major roadblocks towards increasing penetration
To contribute more than 4.6% to GDP by 2018

High speed mobile internet. Affordable?

3/4ths of rural India < 5k per household ~ INR
800 per person
Firms have increased internet data costs by as
much as 100%
Data used per gadget has risen (3G ~ 3x that of
2G)

Barriers to realization of full potential

Data cost growth >
rural income growth

Absence of a
dedicated &
comprehensive setup

Digital
education
Sub par
infrastructure
In a survey in US, 64% students said technology did more to distract students
than help academically

Content

The concept
EXPLAINED

Tiny bytes of internet to drive big change

Application
on user
device

Custom
device

Mobile internet

Basics of the device

3

Wi-Fi

HDD
Processor

Dongle

Sends data via

mobile network
at a moderate
speed

Directs changes
in the hard disk,
coordinates
other actions

Transmits the
data into a
given room

Dongle-cloud interactions
Listens to a static IP

Provides internet

Dongle

Makes changes in
the hard drive

Transmits to students
Router

CPU monitors
these
CPU

Looks for the changes

in the cloud server
Dongle

Cost & Capacity

Wi-Fi

INR 4k

HDD
Processor

Serves upto 50 people at once

Can serve 4,000 students a day

INR 3.5k
~INR 10k

Dongle

High speed access because of

local sharing
Power consumption ~ a light
bulb

INR 2.5k

Study studios
A place where students can bring in their
devices and learn
A spare room in the school could double up
Could serve as a community library & night
learning centre
Could have solar panels for charging in case
of outages

Advantages & implications

Reduces dependency on internet speed & is low
cost
Better capacity utilization of existing internet;
good for Telcos
Control over content, transmission of focused
content in a dedicated environment

Access to quality content

Data can be updated in times of low network

usage
More focus, less distraction, increased retention
in schools

Established centralization

Mass courses, cross diversity classrooms,

massive collaborations possible

Daily updates, latest content

Students stay up-to date on latest research &

happenings

Content & the application(s)

Support
classroom
teaching

Enhance
creativity &
broaden
outlook

Create a
knowledge
thirsty
community

Skill
Building

Possible Developments
With subsidized Aakash Tablet distribution schemes
Night schools and community learning centres
Skill Building Programme
National level education programmes
Testing innovative education methods
Movable studios?

Thanks
-ABHIRATH