Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Internet as a Tool in the Developing World, Challenges and the Way Forward

摘要

Recent advances in computing, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have given rise to the computational network notion. One of these computing paradigms is the Internet, design as inter-connectivity that determines the establishment of the ? info-society?, which has no territorial boundaries, is transnational, is represented by a species that becomes community, is planetary and global and requires?as elements of positive growth through the Net-integration and responsibility. In this paper, we consider the challenges faced by the developing countries and the way they are overcoming them. As difficult as it may seem to believe, awareness of the Internet is not yet universal. At least one out of every three or four persons in urban areas of China, India, Russia and the rest of the developing world have yet to hear of the Internet. In the face of poor infra structural facilities that is lack of communication devises and personal computers, poor or no electricity in most of the rural areas, high call rates, costly line rentals and installation expenses of telephone lines for most of the population to access the Internet, unfavorable economic and political superstructures(high tax rates, un-liberalized import and export laws, monopoly in the ICT sectors by the governments), no laws and regulations to foster economic development that can and will sustain technology use and general ignorance among the users (Challenges) of the newly emerging information technology , it is interesting to know that a lot of developments are taken place through awareness, policy changes that have boost the confidence of the investors in the ICT sector, training and education of the citizens to use and maintain the communication devises (way forward) in the developing world. Internet offer several e-services. Users gain access to traditional e-mail and Web, e-government, tele-medicine, e-commerce applications such as e-business, e-employment, tele-conferencing/video conference, tele- shopping and advertisements, Banking transactions, investment opportunities just to mention a few. Governments and organizations are using the space and resources provided by Internet as a catalyst for mobilization of skill labor through out the developing world to improve their economies.