IT minister of Karnataka Katta Subramanya Naidu yesterday unveiled the state’s first ePCO, with the aim of increasing self-employment, bridging the technological gap and increasing IT adoption in semi-urban and rural areas.

The joint effort from Intel, the Karnataka PCO association, BSNl (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) and Itzcash will accelerate broadband penetration in rural Karnataka.

“Initiatives like the ePCOs are good examples of private players joining hands to drive technology and employment opportunities in rural Karnataka. We need the internet and technology to be pervasive across domains and social strata in order to sustain and spread economic growth,” said Naidu.

This collective initiative is in line with Intel’s objectives to bring together industry support in accelerating broadband connectivity in the country, which the company feels will be an economic growth driver. R. Ravichandran, director of sales for Intel South Asia, said “India has the opportunity to lead the world in delivering low-cost technology solutions for the masses. The ePCO is an excellent step in making technology more affordable and accessible to a much larger number of people'.

ePCOs will provide multiple online services to citizens, including booking railway, airline and bus tickets, payment of utility bills, mobile recharge, insurance and banking and college admission forms. They will also handle sales of cinema tickets, Dish TV subscription, astrology, matrimonial services and video communication facilities. X