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  Peer Reviewed Journals
  Books/Chapters
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Rahul Tongia



Publications

  * Copyright is with Rahul Tongia/authors, unless held by a publisher.

  Peer Reviewed Journals

  1. Organizing and Editorial Committee, Materials Research Society, for MRS Bulletin's Special Issue, Harnessing Materials for Energy, 33(4), April 2008 [equivalent to co-editor]
  2. A. Bharadwaj, R. Tongia, V. S. Arunachalam, “Scoping Technology Options for India’s Oil Security, Part II: Coal to Liquids and Bio-Diesel”, Bharadwaj, Current Science, 92(9), May 10, 2007
  3. A. Bharadwaj, R. Tongia, V. S. Arunachalam, “Scoping Technology Options for India’s Oil Security, Part I: Ethanol for Gasoline”, Current Science, 92(8), April 25, 2007
  4. R. Tongia, “Connectivity in Emerging Regions: The Need for Improved Technology and Business Models” (2007), IEEE Communications Magazine, Special Issue on New Directions in Networking Technologies in Emerging Economies, 45(1), January 2007, pp. 96-103
  5. V. S. Arunachalam, R. Tongia, A. Bharadwaj, “India’s Quest for Energy Security”, Canadian Foreign Policy, 13(2) (2006)
  6. A. Bharadwaj, Rahul Tongia, and V. S. Arunachalam, “Whither Nuclear Power? Energy Implications of the US-India Nuclear Power Deal” (2006) Economic and Political Weekly, 41(12) 1203-1212
  7. R. Tongia, “Natural Gas Imports for India Revisited” Invited Commentary – Economic and Political Weekly, May 14, 2005, 40(20), pp. 2032-2036 
  8. R. Tongia, “Can Broadband over PowerLine Carrier (PLC) Compete?  A Techno-Economic Analysis” (2004) Telecommunications Policy 28(7-8) (2004) pp. 559–578 
  9. R. Tongia and K. Jain, “Investing in Security – Do Not Rely on FUD” (2003) Information Systems Control Journal, Vol. 6, 2003
  10. R. Tongia and V. S. Arunachalam, "Natural Gas Imports for South Asia: Pipelines or Pipedreams?" (1999) Economic and Political Weekly 34(18), pp. 1054-1064 [author version]
  11. R. Tongia and V. S. Arunachalam, "India's Nuclear Breeders: Technology, Viability, and Options" (1998) Current Science 75(6), pp. 549-558 [author version/report]
  12. R. Tongia and R. Banerjee, "Price of Power in India" (1998) Energy Policy 26(7), p. 557 – 575

  Books/Book Chapters

  1. R. Walawalker, R. Tongia, and B. Colburn, “Web Enabled Metering and Controls for Demand Response” Chapter in Web Based Enterprise Energy and Facility Management Systems, Barney Capehart (ed.), Fairmont Press (2007). 
  2. R. Tongia, “The Political Economy of Power Sector Reform in India” Chapter in The Political Economy and Institutions of Power Sector Reform in the Developing World, Victor, D. and Heller, T. (eds.) Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, ISBN: 978-0-521-86502-9, pp 109-174 (2007) 
  3. R. Tongia, “Access to ICTs for Education” Chapter in Harnessing the Potential of ICT for Education – A Multistakeholder Approach, United Nations ICT Task Force, New York (2005) 
  4. R. Tongia, “Open Access Networking in Africa: The FiberAfrica Proposal” Chapter in Open Access for Africa: Challenges, Recommendations, and Examples, United Nations ICT Task Force, New York (2005)
  5. R. Tongia, E. Subrahmanian, and V. S. Arunachalam, “ICT for Sustainable Development: Defining a Global Research Agenda” Allied Press, Bangalore.  ISBN: 81 - 7764 - 839 – X.  Book prepared for the National Science Foundation, World Bank, and United Nations. (2005) 


  Peer reviewed Conferences

  1. Program Committee co-chair, 3rd IEEE/ACM International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development ICTD2009, Doha, Qatar, April 17-19, 2009
  2. R. Tongia and A. Mills-Tettey, “Information, Computing, and Communications: Keys to Sustainable Global Development,” AAAS Annual Meeting, Science and Technology from a Global Perspective, Boston, February 17, 2008.
  3. J. Sherwani, R. Rosenfeld, R. Tongia, et. al,  “HealthLine: Speech-based Access to Health Information by Low-literate Users”, IEEE/ACM International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development ICTD2007, Bangalore, India, December 15-16, 2007, published in ICTD2007 Proceedings (IEEE). 
  4. F. Hussain and R. Tongia, “Community Radio for Development in South Asia: A Sustainability Study” (poster and full paper), IEEE/ACM International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development ICTD2007, Bangalore, India, December 15-16, 2007, published in ICTD2007 Proceedings (IEEE). 
  5. L. Xu, V. Varadharajan, J. Maravich, R. Tongia, and J. Mostow, “DeSIGN: An Intelligent Tutor to Teach American Sign Language” at SLaTE Workshop on Speech and Language Technology in Education, Farmington, Pennsylvania, Oct 1, 2007.
  6. R. Tongia and E. J. Wilson, “Turning Metcalfe on his Head: The Multiple Costs of Network Exclusion”, Proceedings of the 35th Telecommunications Policy Research Conference (TPRC 2007), Vienna, Virginia, September 29, 2007.
  7. J. Sherwani, N. Ali, R. Tongia, R. Rosenfeld, Y. Memon, M. Karim, G. Pappas. HealthLine: Towards Speech-based Access to Health Information by Semi-literate Users. In Proc. Speech in Mobile and Pervasive Environments, Singapore, September 2007.
  8. R. Tongia, “Overcoming the Digital Divide: Rethinking Innovation and Going Beyond Connectivity” – IEEE GIIS2007 Keynote Address, Marrakech, Morocco, June 2-6, 2007.
  9. J. Sherwani, R. Tongia, R. Rosenfeld, Y. Memon, M. Karim, G. Pappas, “Towards Speech Interfaces for Health Information Access by Semi-literate Users” at the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI 2007- AI and its Benefits to Society), AI in ICT for Development Workshop, Hyderabad, January 8, 2007.
  10. M. B. Dias, R. Tongia, K. Toyama, “Exploring Non-Traditional Benefits of AI to the Global Society” (Tutorial) at the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI 2007 - AI and its Benefits to Society), Hyderabad, January 6, 2007.
  11. R. Tongia, “Connectivity and the Digital Divide – Technology, Policy, and Design Tradeoffs for Developing Regions” at the 34th Telecommunications Policy Research Conference (TPRC 2006), Sept. 30, 2006 published in TPRC 2006 Proceedings
  12. R. Tongia, “Broadband for Africa and Developing Regions – Policy Challenges more than Technical Limitations?” (poster) at WWW2006, Edinburgh, UK, May 23, 2006.
  13. R. Tongia and E. Subrahmanian, “ICT for Development – a Design Challenge?” (poster and full paper), IEEE/ACM International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development, ICTD2006, Berkeley, May 25-26, 2006, published in ICTD2006 Proceedings (IEEE). 
  14. R. Tongia, “PowerLine Carrier Communications for Broadband in Developing Countries – Is there a Business Case?” Keynote Address, First International Symposium on the Economics of PLC (Power Line Communication) ISEPLC2005, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea, January 28-29, 2005. 
  15. R. Tongia, “Promises and False Promises of PowerLine Carrier (PLC) Broadband Communications – A Techno-Economic Analysis” at the 31st Telecommunications Policy Research Conference (TPRC 2003), Sept. 21, 2003 published in TPRC 2003 Proceedings. 
  16. R. Tongia “Power Sector Development – The role of IT and new technologies” at Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering & Technology2003 (PICMET2003), July 21, 2003.

  Major Conferences

  1. Invitee (by H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda) – ConnectAfrica Summit, Hosted by ITU/Africa Union, Kigali, Rwanda, October 29-30, 2007.
  2. R. Tongia, Healthcare Innovation and Technology Panel Chair, 13th International Development Conference, Harvard University, April 7-9, 2007.
  3. R. Tongia, “Rural Broadband – International Experience and Ideas” Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI), Columbia University, October 27, 2006, New York.
  4. ICTD2006 – Intl. Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development, May 25-26, 2006 – Organizing Committee; Publications Chair (peer-reviewed conference with IEEE and ACM cooperation), held at SIMS, UC-Berkeley. 
  5. R. Tongia, “Wireless and Access to Knowledge – Hopes and Hype” presented at Access to Knowledge Conference 2006, Organized by Yale Law School, New Haven, April 21-23, 2006. 
  6. R. Reddy and R. Tongia, “The Disruptive Future of Telecom” presented at World Telecom Development Conference 2006 (WTDC2006) Plenary, organized by the ITU, Doha, Qatar, March 7, 2006. 
  7. R. Tongia, “Open Access Networking Analyzed: FiberAfrica Proposal” presented at 3rd Open Access Conference 2005 organized by UN ICT Task Force and Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo, Mozambique, May 10-11, 2005. 
  8. R. Tongia, “Access to ICT for Education” presented at UN ICT Task Force Meeting and Global Forum, Dublin, Ireland, April 13-15, 2005. 
  9. R. Tongia, “BPL – Under Competition in the Telecom World” presented at Alternative Broadband Platforms: Can They Compete With Fiber Optics? Where?, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI), Columbia University, March 19, 2005, New York, USA. 
  10. R. Tongia “PLC – A Reality Check” presented at Power Line Communications III, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI), Columbia University, March 20, 2003, New York, USA. 
  11. R. Tongia “Energy, Development, and Sustainability”; Co-Chair – Energy Session at the Inaugural Conference of the Shell Center for Sustainability, Rice University, March 12-13, 2003, Houston, USA. 
  12. R. Tongia “The Economics of South Asia: An Instrument of Cooperation? – Energy Cooperation” Bordering on Peace: A Conference on India-Pakistan Relations, presented at Bordering on Peace, International Conflict Resolution Group, Yale University, April 6-7, 2001, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. 
  13. R. Tongia, "Use of Shape-Memory Alloys as Low-Grade Heat Engines" Presented at Tryst 1995 (International Students Conference): Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, Jan. 1995.  [Adjudged Best Paper in mechanical engineering section.]


  Workshops / Seminars / Special Lectures / Briefings

IT and Telecommunications

  1. Expert witness, US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) En Banc Hearing on Broadband and the Digital Future, July 21, 2008. [Testimony] [Comments/Q&A] [Slides] [Personal Reactions]
  2. R. Tongia and E.J.Wilson, “Growing and Multiple Costs of Network Exclusion” – Annenberg Seminar, University of Southern California, March 24, 2008. [slides]
  3. R. Tongia, “ICT for Sustainable Development and Other Research: Doing Inter-Disciplinary Research in India” Motorola Labs, Bangalore, December 20, 2007
  4. Invited Senior Researcher, Pan-Asia ICT for Development Workshop, hosted by the Intl. Development Research Center (IDRC) and Microsoft Research, Bangalore, December 14&17, 2007
  5. R. Tongia, “ICT for Sustainable Development.” Google Bangalore, January 11, 2007
  6. Measuring Broadband Workshop, Pew Research Center, Washington, D.C., June 6, 2006.
  7. R. Reddy, R. Tongia, and K. Skinnor, “Connecting Africa.” The World Bank, Washington, DC [Presentation to President Wolfowitz and ICT Leadership], February 22, 2006. 
  8. R. Tongia, “Electricity Systems and Telecom/IT: Thinking of the next 5-10 Years.”  Southern California Edison AMI Retreat.  Los Angeles, Feb 3, 2006. 
  9. R. Tongia, “ICT for Sustainable Development: An Insider’s Look at the Research Agenda” presented at the Computation, Organization, and Society Lecture Series, Carnegie Mellon University, November 7, 2005.  
  10. ICT and Development Workshop – Building a Community of Scholars.  UC Berkeley, USA. October 28, 2005.  
  11. R. Reddy and R. Tongia, “FiberAfrica—A Leapfrog Design for Africa.” Earth Institute Roundtable on Rural Connectivity.  Chair: Jeffrey Sachs.  May 24, 2005.  
  12. R. Tongia, “Networks in Developing Countries” presented at Freedom to Connect Workshop, Washington, DC, USA, organized by Isen.com, March 30, 2005.
  13. R. Tongia, “Knowledge Networks Spanning the Rural Digital Divide” at Workshop on Knowledge Networks, Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Rome, Italy, Feb. 8-10, 2005 (Workshop co-organizer).
  14. R. Tongia, “Networks in the Developing World” at WTF-2004-A Gathering of SMART People (Telecom Leaders and Innovators), organized by Isen.com, April 4, 2004
  15. R. Tongia, “100 Mbps – What’s the business case?” at Workshop on 100 Megabits for 100 million homes project, UC-Berkeley, March 30-31, 2004. [Sponsored by National Science Foundation; organized by CMU/UC-Berkeley.]
  16. UN ICT Task Force – Global Forum on Internet Governance, New York, March 24-26, 2004. [Nominated Vice-Chair of the UN ICT Task Force Working Group on Low-Cost Connectivity Access.]
  17. Bangalore Workshop on ICT for Sustainable Development [sponsored by National Science Foundation/World Bank/United Nations], Conference organizer, January 14-16, 2004, Bangalore, India.  
  18. ICT for Sustainable Development Workshop [sponsored by National Science Foundation/World Bank/United Nations], Conference organizer, June 26-27, 2003, Washington, DC.  
  19. R. Tongia, “IT for Developing Countries” presented at Institute for the Study of Information Technology and Society (InSITeS), Heinz School of Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon, January 28, 2003, Pittsburgh, USA.  
  20. R. Tongia “Telecom and Data Networks in India: The Other Infrastructure.” March 15, 2001, presented at the Center for Integrated Study of Human Dimensions of Global Change (CIS-HDGC), Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA.  

Energy

  1. R. Tongia, “Decarbonizing India’s Energy Systems - Why? When? How?” presented at Energy, Climate, and Global Security 2008, at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, March 31-April 2, 2008, Livermore, California. 
  2. R. Tongia, “IT and Advanced  Metering for the Indian Power Sector.” World Bank, New Delhi, January 5, 2005. 
  3. R. Tongia, “Metering, Smart Metering, and Distribution Control – An Analysis.” Power Systems Engineering and Research Center (PSERC) Seminar, October 5, 2004.
  4. R. Tongia, “IT and India’s Power Sector – Opportunity to Leapfrog” Special presentation to the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission and Karnataka Electricity Utilities, August 23, 2004. 
  5. R. Tongia, “India’s Electricity Act 2003 – Grid Design and Issues” at Workshop on Indian Electricity Act 2003, Inst. for International Studies, Stanford University, April 9, 2004.  
  6. R. Tongia, “ICT and Power (Electricity) in India” presented at Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center (CEIC) and Center for the Integrated Study of Human Dimensions of Global Change (CIS-HDGC) - Joint Seminar, Sept. 24, 2003.  
  7. R. Tongia, “Power Sector Reform in India – Implications for Fuel Choices and Grid Design” at NSEP sponsored Workshop South Asia Energy, Security, and Environment organized by University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, June 6-7, 2003, Washington, DC (Workshop Co-Chair and Organizer).  
  8. R. Tongia, “Power Sector Reform in India: The Long Road Ahead,” presented at The Political Economy of Power Market Reform, Stanford University, February 19-20, 2003, Palo Alto, USA.
  9. The Geopolitics of Gas (Workshop), organized by the Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, Stanford University, October 17-18, 2002, Palo Alto, USA.  
  10. Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Workshop on Universal Global Electrification Challenges, September 4, 2002, EPRI, Palo Alto, USA.
  11. R. Tongia and V. S. Arunachalam, The Caspian Basin and Asian Energy Markets May 24, 2001, Brookings Institution, part of Conference Report # 8 (October 2001), Washington, DC, USA.
  12. R. Tongia “Natural Gas Pipelines in South Asia: Viability and Security” June 8-9, 2001, presented at Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Energy, Environment, and Security in South Asia Workshop.  Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, USA.
  13. R. Tongia, A. Bharadwaj et al “Electricity from Biomass for Developing Economies,” presented at the 5th Annual Meeting of the Center for Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change (CIS-HDGC), July 20, 2000, Pittsburgh, USA. 
  14. R. Tongia “India’s Power Sector: Structure, Finance, and Investments” presented at US-India Electric Power Expert Workshop, September 22-24, 1999, University of Warwick, UK.  (Workshop organizer; organized by Dept. of Engineering & Public Policy, CMU, with support from US Dept. of Energy).

Security, Development and Other

  1. V. S. Arunachalam, R. Tongia, et. al, “A New Direction in S&T Research for Public Good – Special presentation to Prime Minister of India” New Delhi, March 7, 2007.  
  2. V. S. Arunachalam, R. Tongia, and A. Bharadwaj, “Sustainability, Rural Development, and Energy.”  presented to the Trustees of the Packard Foundation, Palo Alto, California, September 24, 2004. 
  3. AAAS Workshop on Science and Security, organized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the MacArthur Foundation, AAAS, April 15-16, 2003, Washington, DC, USA.  
  4. R. Tongia “Issues of Infrastructure in India,” presented at South Asia Panel Series, March 15, 2000, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, D.C., USA. [Organized by the Stimson Center/Brookings Institution/Carnegie Endowment.]
  5. CEES/IEI Workshop on Catalyzing North-South Initiatives, Dec 3-5, 1998, Princeton University, Princeton, USA. [Organized by Center for Energy and Environmental Studies/International Energy Initiative.]
  6. Pak-US Symposium, March 24, 1998, Islamabad, Pakistan. [Organized by Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad, and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS).]
  7. South Asian Futures: A Strategic Assessment Conference, March 20-22, 1998, New Delhi, India. [Organized by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Program in Arms Control, Disarmament, and International Security (ACDIS) and Institute for Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), New Delhi.]
  8. South Asia Security Workshop, January 23, 1998, Stimson Center, Washington, D.C., USA.  [Organized by Rockefeller Foundation International Security Program.]
  9. R. Tongia and V. S. Arunachalam, “India and Pakistan: Energy Security and Evolution of Cooperation” presented at A Broader Definition of Security: 50 Years of United States Relations with India and Pakistan Conference, May 2-4, 1997, Princeton University, Princeton, USA.

  Other Publications

Op-Eds/Editorials/Commentary

  1. R. Tongia, “Politics in a Pipeline” OpEd in Indian Express, February 4, 2007
  2. R. Tongia, Re: “Losing its Lustre” (Nobel Prize) Economist Oct 13, 2006 online.
  3. R. Tongia, “Networking for Africa – Open Access and Other Issues” Commentary in Book Open Access for Africa: Challenges, Recommendations, and Examples. UN ICT Task Force, New York (2005).  
  4. V. S. Arunachalam, R. Reddy, and Rahul Tongia, “Where is the broadband?” (2004) Op-Ed in The Hindu, January 26, 2004. 
  5. V. S. Arunachalam and R. Tongia, “Sustainable Peace: Moving Beyond Terrorism “ (2001) Eisenhower Institute.  
  6. V. S. Arunachalam and R. Tongia, "Response: India's Nuclear Breeders" (1999) Frontline 16(3).


Working Papers

  1. R. Tongia, “Political Economy of Indian Power Sector Reforms” (2003) Working Paper – WP-4, Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, Stanford University. 
  2. R. Tongia, “What IT Can and Cannot Do for the Power Sector and Distribution in India: Link to Reforms, Incentives, and Management” (2003) Working Paper – WP-19, Program on Energy and Sustainable Development, Stanford University. 


Discussion Notes

  1. R. Tongia, “Reducing One Aspect of the Digital Divide – Connectivity (Introducing the FiberAfrica Proposal – a Leapfrog Network)” (2005) (periodically updated; last update May 13, 2005). 
  2. R. Reddy, V. S. Arunachalam, R. Tongia, N. Balakrishan, and E. Subrahmanian “Sustainable ICT for Emerging Economies: Mythology and Reality of the Digital Divide Problem – A Discussion Note.” (2004)
  3. R. Tongia, “Convergence Bill (India) – An Analysis and Critique.” (2002) Position paper, selectively disseminated.  

Technical Reports and Other Publications

  1. R. Tongia, "Synopsis - Broadband over Powerline (BPL)" in Current State of Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D), edited by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, U. Washington, Microsoft Research (forthcoming)
  2. V. S. Arunachalam, A. Bharadwaj, and Rahul Tongia (eds.)  “Electricity from Biomass for Rural India” (2002) UN Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Report. 
  3. G. Morgan, V. S. Arunachalam, R. Tongia, eds., "Electric Power for India: A US-India Bilateral Study" (1999) Report prepared for Electric Power Experts from US and India Workshop (sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Energy).
  4. L. V. Krishnan, R. Tongia, and V. S. Arunachalam, "India's Nuclear Power Program Revisited" (1997) Dept. of Engineering & Public Policy Report, Carnegie Mellon University. 
  5. A. Sterdis and R. Tongia, eds., "The Future of Home Appliance Recycling in Allegheny County"  Heinz School of Public Policy/Dept. of Engineering & Public Policy/Dept. of Social and Decision Sciences Report, Carnegie Mellon University, May 1996.