It’s the ultimate First World problem: When your video call freezes for a few seconds, the picture goes all grainy or the person on the other end suddenly sounds like a hyperspeed robot for a few seconds. This is to be expected when FaceTiming across the U.S., let alone to other countries. So when launching a Skype video call to Moldova, Europe’s poorest country with a per capita GDP less than that of the Republic of the Congo, I wasn’t too hopeful.
But my Skype call to Moldova was gloriously smooth — in full HD without a single glitch for the entire half hour. In fact, my Moldovan interview subject had an internet speed far faster than my own in Silicon Valley, the tech capital of the world (his download speed in Chișinău, the Moldovan capital, a remarkable 195 Mbps; mine in Mountain View, California, a measly 48). Because, believe it or not: Moldova has the third-best coverage of superfast internet in the world.
Read more: MD: Why This Poor Country Has the World's Best Internet
This contributed article from GirlsGoIT explains how the organisation is equipping girls in Moldova with IT and digital skills.
GirlsGoIT was established to boost Moldova's entrepreneurship and innovation capacity by investing in and empowering young women by teaching them digital technologies and IT skills.
The program worked in partnership with UN Women, eGovernment Center, Novateca and TEKEDU, to use technology and education to further career opportunities for Moldovan girls in the digital economy, empowering them with digital skills to embrace the opportunities of the web economy and gain greater access to the global market and entrepreneurship.
Read more: GirlsGoIT is leading young women in acquiring digital and IT skills in Moldova
FutureGov spoke to Stela Mocan, Executive Director of the e-Government Centre, about the development and implementation of the major e-government projects, such as Government Cloud, or as it’s called in Moldova, M-Cloud.
Read more: Moldova Builds E-Government: G-Cloud and e-Services
FutureGov spoke to Irina Tisacova, Open Government Coordinator at the eGC, about the open government policies of the Moldovan government.
“Moldova joined the Open Government Partnership in April last year”, says Tisacova. “We released an open government action plan in January last year, consulting with citizens and the civil society through meetings and online platforms”.
The e-Government Centre (eGC), formed in August 2010, is responsible for the implementation of the e-government agenda of Moldova. FutureGov spoke to several senior officials in the eGC to understand the development and implementation of the major projects underway in Moldova.
Read more: Moldova builds e-government: Mobile digital signature