The Role of Information and Communication Technologies in Economic Development: A Partial Survey

The author endeavors in this paper to answer three questions: what features distinguish these technologies from those invented in the past; what are the channels through which ICTs are expected to promote development; and is there empirical evidence supporting the claims made for or against the use and spread of these technologies.

Abstract

The diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their potential as a development tool have generated a wide array of views. The variety of views suggests that the role and impact of these technologies are still obscure and that the debate regarding them suffers from a lack of unambiguous evidence. Recognizing the need for clarity, the author endeavors in this paper to answer three questions: first, what features distinguish these technologies from those invented in the past; second, what are the channels through which ICTs are expected to promote development, and finally, what justifies the confidence placed in ICTs as a development tool, that is, is there empirical evidence supporting the claims made for or against the use and spread of these technologies?