Using a mobile bus (such as the Nandini Mobile Van, which focuses on sanitation) is a popular method to do outreach to rural or underexposed areas. Google India is launching their Internet Bus Project, an initiative that is essentially a mobile exhibition of the Internet. The bus will provide an introductory look at the Internet and its services. The project focuses on Tamil Nadu and aims to reach people that are not currently using the Internet.
The Internet Bus Project is an attempt educate people about what the Internet is, and how it may be beneficial to their lives, by taking the Internet experience to them through a customised Internet-enabled bus, which will travel to several towns and cities across India.
As the Google India blog states, there is potential in equalizing many playing fields through the Internet. Additionally, this project highlights content in both English and Tamil, allowing larger segments of the population to participate and really understand the value of the web. The video below is used as an introduction – complete with a song in Tamil. Also be sure to take a look at the Internet Bus Project site, which has photos of the high-tech vehicle and tracks the route as the bus moves around the southern state.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRp42vuCSy8]