News

Kiosks part of development plans in Bhutan

April 1, 2002

THIMPHU, Bhutan - One of the world's most isolated, mountainous countries, the Asian nation of Bhutan is making a strong push to develop a sophisticated postal network to bring its remote regions closer together.

According to the Asia Times Online, the International Telecommunication Union and Universal Postal Union has developed a joint venture with Bhutan Telecom and Bhutan Post to bring e-mail and e-post services and kiosks to Bhutan's post offices.

When the project is rolled out, every household in Bhutan with proper identification will receive an e-post address, the equivalent of an e-mail address. The e-post address can be used to send e-messages to other post offices, where the messages will be printed out and delivered like ordinary mail.

The kiosks will be located at 38 regional post offices, about 20 of them in the nation's isolated mountain areas. The kiosks will initially be used as transmitting conduits for the new program, but could be expanded to include medical information, banking services, and information on agricultural products, according to Asia Times Online. No time frame was given for implementing the project.

Located in the Himalayan Mountains region between China and India, Bhutan has an estimated population of 2 million. But the country's capital and largest city, Thimphu, has a population of just 30,000, and it is estimated that more than 90 percent of the country's work force is involved in agriculture.