Impact Of Technologies On Developing Nations - Essay Example

Impact of technologies on developing nations Department Impact of Technologies on Developing Nations Introduction The unprecedented development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) since the early 1980s has ushered in a new era of information. Mobile phones, computer systems, the Internet and the World Wide Web have together provided new avenues for doing work, conducting business and even maintaining social and personal contacts. ICT tools and equipment have pervaded all spheres of work and activity and walks of life. The personal computer, the mobile phone and the Internet connectivity have become the most ubiquitous of items in the daily life of a person. The big question however is whether the ICT revolution has actually been taken advantage of uniformly by all sections of people in a country and by all countries. This has obviously not happened. Within the same country, ICT has not pervaded in all sections of people; and between different countries, ICT development has varied from country to country. This has resulted in what has come to be termed as the Digital Divide. Fink and Kenny (2009) gives four possible interpretations of ‘Digital Divide’: “a gap in access to use of ICTs, crudely measured by the number and spread of telephones or web-enabled computers, for instance; a gap in the ability to use ICTs, measured by the skills base and the presence of numerous complimentary assets; a gap in actual use …; and a gap in the impact of use, measured by financial and economic returns”. Since the very early days of the ICT revolution, it has been increasingly apparent that even though ICT development may not be an end in itself, the application of ICTs and ICT tools is instrumental in enabling development. If this is the case, then it would imply that countries on the lacking side of the Digital Divide would be at a distinct and definite disadvantage compared to countries that have been able to take full advantage of the ICT revolution. Countries which, for whatever reasons, have lagged behind in the adoption of ICT would also lag behind in overall development, this in turn would again restrict them from adopting ICT, resulting in a vicious cycle that would divide the world into haves and have-nots. When speaking from the perspective of countries as a whole, the digital divide has been noticeable especially in the case of developed and developing countries. “The core of the digital divide creed is that the spread to ubiquity of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in developed countries is leaving the developing world behind, with potentially cataclysmic consequences in terms of development prospects.” (Fink & Kenny, 2003, p 15 – 24) So are we looking at a new era of digital colonization wherein developed countries take advantage of ICT and actually succeed in exploiting the developing countries which fall increasing behind? Thesis Statement The varying degree or extent of adoption or implementation of ICT from country to country is however not intrinsic to the technology itself. This paper postulates that ICT is a technology that is wide and flexible enough in scope of application to be adopted even by developing countries to further development and growth. In fact, given the right implementation approach, ICT offers a very novel and unique avenue for developing countries to overcome the digital divide and catch up with their developed counterparts. Overcoming ICT Critical Mass Even as late as in 2004, it was felt that in developing countries ICT adoption had a very weak link with rate of development because these countries were yet to attain what was specified as the critical mass that was required for ICT to impact on development (Economist Intelligence Unit, 2004). There was however no denying the fact that even though developing countries were in general latecomers to the ICT revolution, successful exploitation of the potential of the technologies would enable the developing countries to significantly narrow the gap with the developed countries (Fong, 2009). On a micro level, the ‘2006 Information and Communications for Development’ report published by the World Bank actually considered ICT adoption to be a crucial factor for poverty alleviation (World Bank, 2006). In 2007, another study by Jensen (2007, p 901) found that the use of cell phones by fishermen in Kerela of India had resulted in economic benefits not only for the fishermen, but all for their consumers. In Cambodia, villages in Robib, had reportedly transformed from an agriculture to an information economy thanks largely to adoption of wireless networks (oneworldradio, 2006). Similarly, farmers in Senegal of Africa were able to double the price of their crops by using information they received on their cell phones, and herders in Angola were able to locate their herds using Geographical Positioning Systems (GPSs). Such economic benefits achieved through the strategic application of ICT would naturally have a cumulative effect on the national welfare aggregates of the developing countries. Meeting specific circumstances and requirements The key to successful ICT adoption is to tailor make the technologies to suit the prevailing conditions and requirements. The Digital Divide comes into play both in the intra and inter-country contexts when ICT products and services are out of reach of certain sections of people. The factors that restrict access to ICT include lack of appropriate products, cost, education, language, human resources and lack of robust regulatory framework for ICT (Postnote, 2006). ICT products and services are often not designed to meet the requirements or overcome the constraints face by the economically backward or those in remote locations. In regions where people face scarcity or fluctuations in power supply, any ICT equipment has to come with the additional infrastructure of backup power or have the inherent capability to tolerate fluctuations. In countries where the people cannot afford ICT products or services, the government has to lend a hand with initiatives that subsidizes products and services to ensure that people do have the access. Education and language are also crucial in the sense that these may become barriers to access. In such cases initiatives should be taken by the government or other voluntary organizations for simultaneous advancement in education. The language issue also has to be similarly addressed either by conversion of content to the local language or by making the population conversant with a lingua franca such as English. Developing countries also face a unique challenge in the form of skilled ICT professional migrating to developed countries in search of greener pastures. Government interventions become essential in such cases to retain the scarce and valuable resources. In fact, the regulatory framework comprising government rules and policies determine to a great extent the ICT development of any country. Ethiopia, for example, imposed 40% import tariffs on ICT equipment. This made the equipment very costly and could only be afforded by the wealthy class residing in urban areas. This resulted in about 64% of the total telephone connections and 94% of the total internet being concentrated in the capital of Addis Ababa (International Telecommunication Union, 2010). The government later attempted to turn the situation around by establishing the Ethiopian ICT Development Authority and by changing the management of its two key telecommunication agencies. On the contrary, in China and Egypt, the phenomenal rise in ICT application and usage has been partly due to government support and initiatives. The Chinese government views the ICT sector as an engine for economic growth; and the dynamic Ministry of Communications and Information Technology in Egypt partnered with the private sector to boost development in ICT. The present scenario Whatever may have been the estimates and the predictions, the actual growth of ICT in the world as a whole and in developing countries in particular, establishes the fact that the digital divide has narrowed to a great extent. “By the end of 2009, there were an estimated 4.6 billion mobile cellular subscriptions, corresponding to 67 per 100 inhabitants globally. Last year, mobile cellular penetration in developing countries passed the 50 per cent mark reaching an estimated 57 per 100 inhabitants at the end of 2009.” The number of users of mobile phones in developing countries has actually more than doubled from 23% in 2005. Though Internet use in developing countries has not grown at the same rate as in developed countries, and has reached only 18%, the reason is attributed to lack of fixed broadband access in developing countries. However, in what could be considered a demonstration of the high flexibility of ICT, the introduction of high-speed mobile internet access in a growing number of developing countries could provide a new avenue to ICT services to users in developing countries. The trend is very well visible as the overall number of mobile broadband subscription has grown steadily over the years, and has surpassed fixed broadband subscription in 2008. There are other compelling findings that indicate that ICT is not a technology that will create gaps or differences in the long run especially in the case of developed and developing countries. Data collected on ICT usage in households has revealed that is a positive association between performance in education and Internet access in households. This throws light on the self sustaining and promoting nature of ICT and opens up a wide range of possibilities in which the new technology could be used to further its own growth, especially in developing countries. If Internet access could provide access to education, a whole new generation could be educated appropriately and prepared to take advantage of the services and potential of ICT. In countries such as India, initiatives have already been taken to apply ICT for the cause of education. ICT makes distance education or e-learning possible in areas which are remote and do not adequate education infrastructure. In the state of West Bengal of India, the government has taken up a project to set up about 1,500 community libraries and information centres for providing information relating to further education and career (Bisht, 2007). A positive association has also been observed between female employment and the proportions of households having Internet access (International Telecommunication Union, 2010). This combined with the finding that in developing countries the difference in percentage between males and females who access the Internet is less than 10, could pave the way for addressing issues of gender inequalities through ICT. In developing countries of Africa and Asia where there is marked gender bias, ICT could play a very prominent role in enabling women power and thus removing a crippling disadvantage of the developing countries vis-à-vis the developed world. Conclusion As the ICT revolution had initially swept across the world, the developed nations were better positioned in terms of exposure, resources, technical expertise and infrastructure to take advantage of the new technology. Adoption of the new technology had resulted in the enabling of development in different sectors. The state of readiness of developing nations to receive the new technology was, in contrast, much below that of the developed nation. A crucial factor was affordability of users. While people in developed nations had the money power to take advantage of ICT, people in developing nations did not. This had resulted in what came to be defined as the Digital Divide. But ICT is a technology which can be adapted to almost all circumstances and situations. Even the developing nations found strategic applications which worked. Mobile telephony, use of ICT for education, the gradual establishment of wireless networks, all led to overall development in the economy of developing countries. Had the Digital Divide grown at a steady rate the world would by now have witnessed the existence of digital colonies and digital empires. That, however, did not happen. The ICT Development Index (IDI) comprising eleven indicators covering ICT use, access and skills, has been used for analysis of the Digital Divide. “The analysis shows that the digital divide is still significant, although it is slightly shrinking, especially between those countries with very high ICT levels and those with lower levels” (International Telecommunication Union, 2010). ICT in fact promises to be a great leveller. It is a technology which can bridge not only the digital divide but also other divides in terms of economy, social and cultural differences and even political hurdles. “Given the relatively short time lag of ICT indicators compared to other development indicators, countries with low ICT levels could catch up relatively quickly, provided their ICT sectors receive adequate policy attention.”1 Once this happens the world would be turned into a true global village without any of the differences that have existed for so long. References Carsten Fink & Charles J Kenny, 2003, W(h)ither the digital divide?, Info 5.6, pp 15-24, MCB UP Limited Economist Intelligence Unit, 2004, Reaping the benefits of ICT, Europe’s productivity challenge, Report sponsored by Microsoft Euromonitor International, GMI Database. http://graphics.eiu.com/files/ad_pdfs/MICROSOFT_FINAL.pdf International Telecommunication Union, 2010, Measuring the Information Society, Place des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland Michelle W. L. Fong, 2009, Digital Divide: The Case of Developing Countries, Issues In Informing Science and Information Technology, Victoria University Australia oneworld radio, 2006, How radio, cell phones, wireless web are empowering developing nations, http://radio.oneworld.net/article/view/78640/1/ Postnote, 2006, ICT in Developing Countries, Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, United Kingdom. R. Jensen, 2007, The digital provide: Information (technology) market performance, and welfare in the south Indian fisheries sector, The Quarterly Journal of Economics, CXXII(3), 879-924. Rajender Singh Bist, 2007, ICT Enabled Development and Digital Divide: An Indian Perspective, 5th International Caliber-2007, Punjab University, Chandigarh The World Bank, 2006 Information and Communications for Development: Global Trends and Policies, 2006, Washington DC: The World Bank. Essay Plan Topic: Impact of ICT on Developing Nations Introduction : Information and Communication Technology can be strategically applied for development of developing countries Argument/Thesis statement: ICT is a technology that is wide and flexible enough in scope of application to be adopted even by developing countries to further development and growth. Given the right implementation approach, ICT offers a very novel and unique avenue for developing countries to overcome the digital divide and catch up with their developed counterparts. Mainpoint 1: Strategic ICT application to meet the specific requirements of developing nations enables overall development and bridging of the Digital Divide. Mainpoint 2: For ICT successful adoption for development, the government and implementing agencies concerned should take approaches that suits prevailing socio-cultural and economic conditions. Mainpoint 3: The present scenario proves that the Digital divide is gradually being bridged and developing nations are catching albeit slowly with developed countries. Concepts to define: Digital Divide, IDI Index. Scope: The paper seeks to expel the misgiving that new technologies such as ICT will increase the differences between developing and developed nations. Modern technologies are flexible enough to be applicable in all situations. Mainpoint 1 ICT application to meet the specific requirements of developing nations enables overall development and bridging of the Digital Divide. Mainpoint 2 For ICT successful adoption for development, the government and implementing agencies concerned should take approaches that suits prevailing socio-cultural and economic conditions. Mainpoint 3 The present scenario proves that the Digital divide is gradually being bridged and developing nations are catching albeit slowly with developed countries. Conclusion: Provided the right strategic approaches are adopted for application of ICT in developing nations, the new technology has the flexibility and the potential to bridge the initial Digital Divide between developing and developed nations. Read More