TheWorldBanksays9billionelectronicdevicesareconnectedtotheInternettoday.
Butthebanksaysmorethanhalfoftheworld’spopulationisstillnotconnected.
TechnologistsandgovernmentofficialssaygettingconnectedtotheInternetiscriticaltoimprovingthelivesofmillionsofpeople.
JoeMucheruisKenya’sCabinetSecretaryfortheMinistryofInformation,CommunicationsandTechnology.Hesaystechnologyisgoodforbusiness.
“Wehavegothugefightsintermsofcorruption,transparency,openness-andtechnologyisreallythevehiclewe’reusingtoensurethatwhatevertransactionsaretakingplace,youcanseethem.They’redigital.”
ButtherearestillmanyareaswithoutInternetconnections.ThatiswhatHiltonRomanskisays.HeistheSeniorVicePresidentandChiefStrategyOfficerforthetechnologycompanyCisco.
“ObviouslywelookatAfrica,welookatSoutheastAsia;therearelargeswathsobviouslyofthepopulationthatarenotconnected.”
DenisO’BrienischairmanofDigicel,amobiletelephoneservice.Hesaysoncepeoplestartusingsmartphones,theytalklessandusemorecomputerdata,fortextmessages,picturesandvideo.
Thismakesforhigh-speedserviceorbroadbandarequirementfornearlyallusers.O’Briensaidbuildingthetelecommunicationsinfrastructureindevelopingareasisdifficultbutneededforeconomicgrowth.
“Everybody’sbuilttheeasybit,inotherwordsthey’vedonethetownsandthecities,butgoingintoruralcommunitiestheyhaven’tdoneitbecausethebusinesscaseisverythin.”
TechnologyexpertssaybusinessesandgovernmentsneedtocometogethertobringtheInternettodevelopingareastodriveeconomicgrowth.
O’Briensaysbroadbandisnotasecondaryneed.
“Anycountrythatwantstocreateinvestmentandbealocationforinvestmenttocreateemployment,thefirstthingyouneedisbroadband.”
Istechnologytheanswer
Butothersdonotthinktechnologyisacure-allforeconomicgrowth.
KentaroToyamaisAssociateProfessorofCommunityInformationattheUniversityofMichigan.Hehasawarningfordevelopingnationsthatseemoderntechnologyasthesolutionforeconomicgrowth.
Toyamasaystheworldhaschangedoverthepast45yearsbecauseofdevelopmentsintechnology.ButallthisdigitalinnovationdidnotreducedifferencesbetweenrichandpoorpeopleintheUnitedStates.
”Duringthatsamespanoftime,thiscountryhasexperiencedrisinginequality.Themedianincomehasdeclined.”
Headdsthat,indevelopingnations,asmartphonealonewillnothelppeoplewhoareuneducatedandlacktechnologicalskills.
”Iftheydohaveamobilephone,people,forexample,whoarephysicallaborersonfarmswhereitdoesn’tmaketoomuchofadifferenceifyoucanhaveaccesstothelatestagronomicresearchpaperasawaytoimproveyourfarming.”
DenisO’Briendisagrees.
“Onceyougetbroadband,youcaneducatepeople.Youcancreatejobsforpeople,andpeoplefromanagriculturalpointofviewbecomemuchmoreefficient.”Healsopointedtoculturaldifferencesineachcountry.
JoeMucheruseestheissueasmanyKenyansdo.
“ThefactthatmaybesomeofthepeopleintheWesthaven’tcomeoutofpovertybecausetheyhavenotusedtheirdeviceswellisnotthesameforAfrica.”
Cisco’sHiltonRomanskisaysittakescooperationbetweenprivate,governmentandnon-profitgroupstomaketechnologyeffective.
“It’sgoingtotakeallthepartiescomingtogethertodrivetherightculturalshiftandtherighteducationintothesecountriessothatthedevelopingmarketcanoverthelongtermenjoythebenefitsofeconomicgrowth.”
Theexpertsdoagreedthatgoodthingscanhappenifeducationabouttechnologyiscombinedwiththerightpolicies.
I’mMarioRitter.
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WordsinThisStory
critical–adj.veryimportantornecessary
strategy–n.alongtermplan
infrastructure–n.importantphysicalstructureslikeroads,bridges,andpowerplantsthatareneededforasocietytooperate
broadband–n.awirelesscommunicationsnetworkthatprovidesInternetaccess
innovation–n.anewidea,deviceormethod
savvy–adj.practicalunderstandingorknowledgeofsomething
agronomic–adj.havingtodowiththescienceofproducingplants
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