Information Society Watch

2001, Cynthia Hewitt de Alcántara, UNRISD

This paper argues that the digital divide is indicative of the deeper development divide that is characteristic of the present world. The author asserts that promoting development must involve shaping the structures of opportunities to further socio-economic progress, and not merely facilitating access to new devices.

February 2008, Murali Shanmugavalen, Panos London

This article draws attention to some of the challenges that lie in the way to bridging the digital divide. First, even as many developing countries witness expansion of new means of communication such as the Internet and mobile phones, a significant proportion of their populations, especially those in the rural areas, remain unserved or underserved.

September 2007, id21 insights

This issue of id21 insights presents snapshots of research on the role and the impact of mobile phones across the developing world. Studies show the 'incremental benefits', such as offering cheaper means of communication, as well as the 'transformational benefits', such as creating new means of livelihood, that mobile phones bring.

February 7, 2008, The Economist

This article discusses the possibilities for new technologies to leapfrog developing countries into the 21st century, bypassing the 20th century and straight away reaping the benefits of mobile technologies. It focuses on a recent report from the World Bank, which points out that the spread of new technologies often depends on the availability of more basic technologies. The article reminds readers that 21st century technologies are underpinned by much earlier infrastructure. For example, computers and broadband require reliable electricity supplies and the latest medical equipment requires basic sanitation and facilities. The World Bank report finds that low levels of penetration prevent new technologies from bringing benefits to all people in poor countries and development policies must be formed accordingly.

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.

October 20, 2006, Garth Graham, Alternative Telecommunications Policy Forum

This note from a panel on telecommunications and the public good discusses issues around Internet governance and community networking. The Internet has evolved from a repository of information to a means of linking people together and allowing them to more effectively communicate, thus building social networks.

2006, Danish Dada, The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries

This paper provides a review of academic literature on the failure of e-governance in developing countries. Drawing from extensive research on the topic conducted by Richard Heeks, the paper suggests that there exists wide gaps between the current reality in developing countries and the future of e-governance systems.

1999, Philip Varner

This overview of the economics of open source software (OSS) focuses on how businesses can use open source models to their advantage. It claims that the open source business model is far superior to traditional closed source businesses, and companies will be required to adopt such open source models to remain competitive.

March 2007, Diego Rumiany, ICT4D development gateway

This paper explores the emerging business models for Internet-based social lending, focusing in particular on two websites that adopt a Peer-to-Peer (p2p), unknown-to-unknown, for-profit model. The research examines social lending models, discusses the challenges they face in comparison to the traditional (institution-to-unknown) microfinance model, and offers suggestions for future research into how such models can be adopted into microfinance for developing countries.

August 1995, Richard Barbrook & Andy Cameron, Alamut

The California ideology describes the development of the technocratic political inclinations that have shaped dominant ICT discourse to date. Through a hybridisation of radical, anti-corporate activism and entrepreneurial, free-market spirit, with a solid dose of technological determinism and faith in the potential of ICTs, the California Ideology has emerged as the ruling philosophy of the information society.