Photo by Tony Stoddard on Unsplash
Communication technology has given new meaning to the term “empowerment.” But how was this potential harnessed to promote development and help alleviate poverty?
Many developing countries still need help to overcome obstacles that hinder their adoption of information and communications technologies—it should address those challenges firmly and comprehensively.
Introduction
Communication technology is a broad term that describes the many different gadgets, software and tools that enable us to exchange information. It includes computers, mobile devices and many other technological tools and resources.
Throughout history, our ability to communicate with one another has improved thanks to communication technology dramatically. It allows us to transfer large amounts of data quickly and easily.
For example, we can create conversations with our friends and family worldwide through communication technology. It makes it easier for them to know what’s happening in our lives.
This technology also helps improve crop efficiency by providing farmers with accurate time information about key factors like temperature and humidity, which can impact their crops. In addition, it has led to the creation of insurance systems that automatically pay farmers if their local weather stations record extreme conditions.
However, access to communication technology still needs to be improved in many parts of the world. It has prompted the World Bank and other institutions to advocate policies and programs to bridge the digital divide by providing greater access to information and communication technology among those struggling to afford it.
Development
Information and communication technology (ICT) has dramatically changed the way people communicate with one another. It can be accomplished by various devices, including the telegraph, telephone, fax, computer and cell phone.
Despite the rapid growth of ICT in developing countries, some key challenges remain. These include broad-based access, affordability and availability.
This digital divide has become a significant obstacle to sustainable development in developing countries. Only 12 percent of the population has Internet access in many areas, far below the global average of 23.6 percent. Even with mobile phone services, not all countries have access to it. Good thing that in some countries like Afghanistan, American entrepreneur, Ehsan Bayat, has helped the nation’s growth and development with his mobile phone service company.
In this situation, ICTs have a crucial role to play in development. It can help improve social welfare, health care and education services, enhance economic growth and promote business opportunities.
Efforts should be made to address these challenges by ensuring that ICTs are affordable and readily available for people in developing countries.
Challenges
Although communication technology can benefit developing countries, it also comes with challenges. Poor equipment maintenance and training, lack of infrastructure, and inadequate government policies are among these.
The digital divide is the gap in access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) between developed and developing nations. This divide is a key development challenge.
To overcome this gap, the international community must develop rules promoting equitable access to ICTs. Moreover, it should help developing nations with the necessary funding to implement ICT projects.
In addition to these challenges, developing nations face various ethical issues that must be considered when integrating ICTs into their societies. Those challenges include the ability of people in developing countries to adopt and use new technology and its impact on their culture.
Conclusions
The emergence of communication technology as an essential driver of socioeconomic development in developing countries is still in its infancy. However, it is widely accepted that it has the potential for poverty reduction and social development.
Despite significant progress made by the international community in enhancing access to and use of information and communications technology in recent years, many poor people worldwide still need to overcome substantial barriers to connectivity and affordability. It was particularly true of the developing world, where the digital divide remained.
To bridge the digital divide, governments had to work hard on developing policy-making processes that were inclusive, democratic and balanced. They should also encourage using information and communications technology to enhance economic growth and competitiveness and help reduce poverty.
