Question Box
Open Mind
Solution Overview & Benefits
Question Box is Open Mind's initiative that helps people find answers to everyday questions like health, agriculture, business, education and entertainment.
It provides easy access to information in hard-to-reach areas and breaks through technology, language and literacy barriers.
Question Box callboxes use GSM mobile signal for calls, and run on any local power source (solar panels, battery or mains). Using Closed User Groups (CUGs), calls are free between the callboxes and the destination phone number, greatly reducing the cost of implementation. Calls can go to either a central location, or to distributed program staff and outreach workers.
We also partner with different organizations and provide training on how they can use Question Box for their projects. Question Box is currently live near Pune, India with new projects coming up in Uganda and India.
Recent pilot studies were conducted successfully in Bushneyi and Mbale districts of Uganda and Noida, India. We are also helping several organizations start their own Question Box-inspired services.
History & Development
Question Box began, as it happens, with a question: “How can we bring information to people beyond the last mile – left behind by the digital revolution?” Question Box was developed as solution to reach the massive population that is left behind.
Question Box was founded by Rose Shuman in 2007, as a project of Open Mind Company, a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit in Santa Monica, California. We have developed and installed Question Boxes in locations across India and Uganda.
Availability
- Publicly available: yes
- Countries where available: Uganda, India
- Price (USD): Please contact Open Mind for details
Specifications
Basic Hardware Configuration
• Armored phone body
• Handset Phone Unit with 3 Speed Dials
• Built-in GSM
• GSM Antenna
• Speed-dial Programming Unit
• Wall mounting hardware
• Built in battery for brief power outages
• Industrial handset and cord
• Requires 12v power input
Additional Information
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Get in Touch!
Get in touch with us by filling out the form or emailing us at contact@techxlab.org.