Information Society Watch
A Southern Lens on the Information SocietyOf Internet cafes and power cuts
February 7, 2008, The Economist
The article examines the spread of technology in developing countries from the viewpoint of measuring the rate and scale of adoption of new technologies. A recent World Bank report has thrown some interesting light on this subject. What has emerged is that developing countries such as India and China have extremely concentrated levels of technology use in certain areas, while large masses are still being left out of the process. The speed with which technological advances trickle down to the masses is as integral to the development of a country as is the initial adoption rate. The article emphasises this point and concludes that while there are significant challenges in the spread of technology, the future is quite bright for newer generations to take the lead in the widespread use of ICTs in developing countries.