information & communication technologies: who gets to play? rohan samarajiva presentation at...
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Information & Communication Technologies: Who gets to play?
Rohan SamarajivaPresentation at UNDP Global Meeting on ICT4D, Ottawa, 9-12 July 2003
ICTs, knowledge work & human development
ICT is not synonym for knowledge ICTs are a necessary, but not
sufficient, condition for effective knowledge work in 21st century
Knowledge is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for development
Necessary but not sufficient . . .
Information and Communication Technologies
+ other inputs
Effective knowledge work at present time
+ other work
Human development
Where are we with ICTs & where do we go?
Sri Lanka in Asia, as example Current comparison is purposely
arbitrary ICT levels/broadband generally
correlated with GDP per capita But the e Sri Lanka bet is that ICT can
cause wealth to increase; that we need not and should not wait for wealth to give us more ICTs/broadband
Where does Sri Lanka stand?GDP p.c Pop.
per km2
Fixed/100 pop
CAGR,’95-01
Korea 10,036 475 48.75 2.6
Malaysia 3,869 71 19.58 2.8
Sri Lanka 882 286 4.43 24.7
India 459 324 3.75 19.5
Pakistan 427 180 2.33 5.7
Nepal 239 161 1.31 21.3
Where does Sri Lanka stand?
GDP p.c.
Mobile/100 pop
CAGR, ’95-01
Payph/1k
Korea 10,036 62.08 61.4 10.68
Malaysia 3,869 31.42 39.7 6.87
Sri Lanka
882 3.56 53.4 0.66
India 459 0.63 109.2 1.06
Pakistan 427 0.56 64.5 0.45
Nepal 239 0.08 -- 0.04
Where does Sri Lanka stand?
GDP p.c I hosts /10k(’01)
I’net users/10k (‘01)
Korea 10,036 94.01 5210.52
Malaysia 3,869 31.10 2731.09
Sri Lanka
882 1.22 80.08
India 459 0.81 68.16
Pakistan 427 0.78 34.49
Nepal 239 0.67 26.39
Infrastructure policy priorities
With regard to fixed telephony only? Mobiles? Anything but circuit-switched (ABC)? Internet access? Internet “publication”? To enable E-commerce? To enable E-government?
Why focus on e-government?
It’s the most complicated If e-gov is done, e-commerce (& the rest)
automatically done Network and connectivity challenge is
greatest with e-government Allows focus on “usable knowledge” in local
languages Addresses the chicken and egg problem of
Internet access and content Reduces distortion of market signals
e Sri Lanka Infrastructure: Vishva Grama Fund
Multi-service platforms in under-served areas Least-cost subsidy auctions to leverage
private investment Vishva Gnana Kendra enabling access
through intermediaries to e government services Communication services Education , etc.
Resources & contacts www.esrilanka.lk http://www.ssrc.org/programs/itic/itst/ http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/ink/kno
wledge.html Rohan Samarajiva
[email protected] +94 1 34 67 27 (fax) +94 1 47 87 33 (voice)