Half Full or Half Empty? The Contribution of Information and Communication Technologies to Development

Abstract

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have enabled im portant economic and social changes. They have dramatically shifted the way people produce and exchange information and knowledge.1 Over the past ten years, ICTs have become an important element in sustaining eco nomic growth and poverty reduction through increasing efficiencies, en abling the delivery of social services, or creating new sources of income and employment.2 Yet, the contribution of ICTs to development has been questioned, and many actors have criticized the hype around Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) over these past ten years. Should developing countries dedicate resources to ICTs as a sector and as enabler of full participation in the knowledge society, or should they dedicate their resources to health, education, electricity, or food security? Where are the priorities? In this article, I argue that it is not an either/or situation; rather, devel oping countries should continue their efforts of policy and regulatory re forms in order to enable an ICT environment conducive to economic growth and development. ICTs are not an end in themselves; they are a means that could be used to enable specific development and poverty-reduction goals. As N. Hanna noted, poverty is a multidimensional phenomenon, and lack of access to information and communication can exacerbate its causes.3 The importance of ICTs as an enabler of social and economic develop ment has been demonstrated through the positive role of fixed-line commu nication in promoting the growth of industrialized economies.4 More recent studies were able to establish a positive link between mobile penetration and growth of gross domestic product (GDP) in developing countries.5 Develop ing countries have experienced dramatic increases in ICT access over the last eight years. The number of Internet users has grown by more than 1,000 percent,6 and mobile telephony has spread rapidly. Africa for instance, is now experiencing the highest mobile growth rate in the world, with clear