The Internet is increasingly used for broadcasting radio programmes. The Kothmale Internet Community radio project in Sri Lanka demonstrates that this a particularly interesting approach in rural areas. This pilot project, which aims at assessing the potential benefits of new communication technologies to remote areas, is being implemented by UNESCO in collaboration with the Ministry of Posts, Telecommunications and the Media, Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulatory Commission and the University of Colombo. Kothmale is located in the central part of Sri Lanka. It takes about three hours bus ride from the capital city Colombo to reach the location. Kothmale community radio serves a target area of 20km radius, which includes a number of rural towns such as Gampola, Nawalapitiya and Thispane. The project uses community radio as an interface between the Internet and rural communities. While UNESCO provided computer equipment and training the Government of Sri Lanka through its Telecommunication Regulatory Commission provided the Internet connectivity to the community radio through a dedicated 64KB line. Sri Lanka’s Minister of Posts, Telecommunications and the Media of Sri Lanka, Mangala Samaraweera, officially inaugurated the Kothmale Internet Community Radio Project during a ceremony held on 30 April at Kothmale. This official opening took place after three months of trial period during which a WEB site database http://www.kirana.lk was developed and community volunteers were trained to handle various elements of the project. Nearly three thousand rural people attended the opening ceremony, and for many of them it was the first exposure to computers and the Internet. There are three basic features in this project, which combine new information technologies with conventional radio medium. 1. Radio programme to "Radio Browse" the Internet (information interpreted in local language) Here, the community radio broadcasts a daily two hour radio programme, in which community broadcasters interpret information from selective Internet sites. The listeners can direct queries to the radio station to find specific information from the Internet. The advantage is that the community radio provides the requested information in local language making Internet information accessible to those who do not understand the English language. 2. Community radio function as a mini Internet Service Provider to the community with free Internet access Besides its own Internet Café the community radio has provided two free Internet access points at Gampola and Nawalapitiya community libraries. This has a very big advantage for the community because usually Internet Service Providers are located in capital cities and each time a rural user want to access Internet he will have to pay telephone bills for long distance telephone call. The Internet access points at community libraries are available free of charge. Access points also used as a direct link to radio station to produce and air live broadcast programmes 3. Community database development The community radio also develops its own computer database (Internet WEB site http://www.kirana.lk ), deriving information, which are often requested by community members, from the Internet. Much of the information in this WEB site is available in local language. This database attempt to solve the problem of non-availability of packaged information in the Internet suitable to rural needs. Beside that a collection of CD-ROMs will be made available at community radio for community use. The project intend address a number of challenges faced in introducing the benefits of communication technologies to rural areas which are common to many developing countries. Among them is the foremost is lack of access to computers and the Internet in rural areas. To address this, the community radio runs an Internet café, free of charge for the community members. Teachers and other rural inteligencia, who use English language, can use the facility to browse the Internet and glean information. Alternatively, those who do not understand English can still receive the information through the special radio programme by directing their queries in advance to the radio station. Benefits of this system are described by in the user entries of the logbook maintained by the radio station for research purposes. " I printed out 15 page valuable information on diseases caused by mosquitoes. If not for this facility I wouldn't be able to obtained such useful information which are directly relevant to my functions as a health worker". - Muthu Menike "I obtained information on organic farming of tomatoes" - Ran Banda, a local Farmer The University of Colombo has launched a continuous process research to discern the type of users, patterns of use, the kind of information and pleasure sought leading to a publication synthesising the experience and the project methodology for possible replication in other rural communities. The telecommunication costs of dedicated Internet access at the community radio and the other two access point are absorbed by the Government for two year period within which community radio will have to develop an income generation strategy to sustain the facility. This would mean that the community radio would have to generate additional income of US$ 1,000 per month. Some income will come from charging for print outs of the public domain Information retrieved from the Internet. Already work has begun to host a number of commercial WEB sites at the Internet server available at the radio station. The local youth have been trained to design and develop WEB sites for private sector. The Server also has facilities to provide seven additional access points, which the community radio intends to rent for governmental and non-governmental organisations. With the "Radio Browsing the Internet " programme management hopes to get more income from radio advertising. Also offering computer training to youth, particularly for WEB site design, is being explored as an income generation method. A Volunteer provided by the Australian Oversees Volunteer Service for 15 months, is now working with the community radio staff to develop the income generation strategy. Links UNESCO’s projects for developing community media        Contact: Wijayawanda Jayaweera, UNESCO, Communication Division