Title: ICT and Economic Growth: Evidence from Kenya
Author: Richard Heeks
Source: ICTs for Development
Date (published): 26/06/2011
Date (accessed): 06/07/2011
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"Do ICTs contribute to economic growth in developing countries?

In the 1980s, Robert Solow triggered the idea of a productivity paradox, saying “You can see the computer age everywhere but in the productivity statistics.” And for many years there was a similar developing country growth paradox: that you could increasingly see ICTs in developing countries except in the economic growth data.

That is still largely true of computers and to some extent the Internet, but much less true overall as mobiles have become the dominant form of ICTs in development. In particular key studies such as those by Waverman et al (2005), Lee et al (2009), and Qiang (2009) have demonstrated a clear connection between mobiles and economic growth and/or between telecoms more generally and economic growth. They all address the “endogeneity” problem: that a correlation between telecoms (indeed, all ICTs) and economic growth is readily demonstrable; but that you then have to tease out the direction of causality: economic growth of course causes increased levels of ICTs in a country (we buy more tech as we get richer); you need to try to control for that, and separate out the interesting bit: the extent to which the technology causes economic growth."

Title: Mobile Phone Use in West Africa: Gambian Statistics
Author: Richard Heeks
Source: ICTs for Development blog
Date (published): 30/01/2011
Date (accessed): 31/01/2011
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"This entry reports findings from a survey of nearly 400 mobile phone users in The Gambia conducted by Fatim Badjie, who recently participated in Manchester’s MSc in ICTs for Development.

Its findings fall into six main areas:
Ownership and Costs
Mobile Usage
Availability and Issues
Impacts and Benefits
Male-female differences
Locational differences
...
My commentary would be that, overall, this is a reminder of how mature the mobile market is getting in Africa with very high rates of ownership, very high rates of usage, and signs of movement beyond basic calls/SMS: at least 15% going online via their mobiles, at least 13% using video/conference calls. With roughly one-third saying they use mobiles to make or get money, it looks like quite a valuable financial tool: so embedded that nearly fourth-fifths of users couldn’t imagine life without it, including some who see mobiles as a “necessary burden”."

Title: Counting Internet Users and calculating divides
Author: Rohan Samarajiv
Source: LIRNEasia
Date (published): 22/09/2010
Date (accessed): 26/09/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"The ITU dataset is the mother lode, mined by all. But sometimes, it is good to interrogate the quality of what the ITU produces. The most recent instance of ITU data being subject to sophisticated analysis without any attention being paid to the quality of the data is by noted ICT4D scholar, Richard Heeks.

In a previous essay, Heeks interrogated the numbers emanating from the ITU on “mobile subscriptions.” It is a pity the same was not done in the recent piece on Internet and broadband.

For example, the ITU reports that Afghanistan had 2,000 Internet subscriptions and 1,000,000 Internet users, indicating the use of a multiplier of 500. In other words, the Afghan administration is asking us to believe that each Internet connection is used by 500 people, in addition to asking us to accept nice round numbers on the subscriptions indicator.

This illustrates the biggest weakness of the ITU’s definition of an Internet User: each national administration is allowed to use a multiplier of its choice to derive the number of Internet users from the number of Internet subscribers, in the absence of demand-side surveys, the first-best way of obtaining the indicator. No low-income countries have reported demand-side survey results. Therefore, the Internet user numbers reported by the ITU are tainted by the use of arbitrary multipliers such as the 500 used by Afghanistan (this is the most outrageous multiplier we found; most are more reasonable). But the point is that it is wrong to permit national administrations which may have incentives to look good in terms of Internet connectivity to use multipliers without any rational basis. LIRNEasia is in the process of developing a practical solution to the problem of the multiplier that will be published shortly."

See:
Global ICT Statistics on Internet Usage, Mobile, Broadband: 1998-2009 by Richard Heeks

Title: Global ICT Statistics on Internet Usage, Mobile, Broadband: 1998-2009
Author: Richard Heeks
Source: ICTs for development blog
Date (published): 16/09/2010
Date (accessed): 26/09/2010
Type of information: blog post
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
"How are ICT diffusion rates changing over time in different parts of the world?
...
For Internet, it will be 2019 before the poorest countries reach the 50 users per 100 level that the richest countries were at in 2002; a digital lag of 17 years. For broadband, it will be 2020 before the poorest countries reach the 15 users per 100 level that the richest countries were at in 2005; a digital lag of 15 years (but with a wide margin for error, and calculated only on 2008-to-2009 growth rates). Put another way, there are no signs yet of the digital lag for Internet or broadband closing over time, and not much evidence for the idea that digital lag is shortening with each new ICT innovation."

Title: UN reveals global disparity in broadband access
Author : Jonathan Fildes
Source: BBC News
Date (published): 02/09/2010
Date (accessed): 06/09/2010
Type of information: article
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML)
Abstract:
The global disparity in fixed broadband access and cost has been revealed by UN figures.

The Central African Republic is the most expensive place to get a fixed broadband connection, costing nearly 40 times the average monthly income there.

Macao in China is the cheapest, costing 0.3% of the average monthly income.

Niger becomes the most expensive place to access communication technologies, when landlines and mobiles are also taken into account.

"Access to broadband in an affordable manner is our greatest challenge," Dr Hamadoun Toure, secretary general of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), told BBC News.

The statistics were highlighted ahead of the UN 2010 Millennium Development Goals Summit in New York on 19 September.

Title: World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report (WTDR) 2010: Monitoring the WSIS Targets: A mid-term review
Pages: 258 pp.
Publisher: International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Date (published): 29/04/2010
Date (accessed): 26/05/2010
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf, 6,5 MB)
Abstract:
The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) held in Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005) brought together governments, civil society and the business sector to discuss a broad range of subjects related to ICT for development. In the end, governments agreed on a set of commitments and actions to foster the establishment of an inclusive infor- mation society. In particular, ten targets were identified in the Geneva Plan of Action, along with numerous recommendations based on different action lines (Action Lines C1 — C11). The targets, to be achieved by 2015, are:
1. To connect villages with ICTs and establish community access points
2. To connect universities, colleges, secondary schools and primary schools with ICTs
3. To connect scientific and research centres with ICTs
4. To connect public libraries, cultural centres, museums, post offices and archives with ICTs
5. To connect health centres and hospitals with ICTs
6. To connect all local and central government departments and establish websites and e-mail addresses
7. To adapt all primary and secondary school curricula to meet the challenges of the information society, taking into account national circumstances
8. To ensure that all of the world’s population have access to television and radio services
9. To encourage the development of content and put in place technical conditions in order to facilitate the presence and use of all world languages on the Internet
10. To ensure that more than half the world’s inhabitants have access to ICTs within their reach

The year 2010 marks the midpoint between the Tunis phase of WSIS (2005) and the deadline for achieving the WSIS targets (2015), in line with the target date of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report presents a mid-term review of the progress made towards achieving the ten WSIS targets. The overall objective of the report is to provide policy-makers with a comprehensive assessment of the WSIS targets to date and, based on the findings, make suggestions on the types of policy measures required to meet them. The report also highlights the need for formal monitoring of progress towards achieving the WSIS targets. Currently, there are no agreed indicators for the targets which countries could use for monitoring purpose
...
The report is based on the latest available data. While some data are collected at the international level, notably by ITU, UNESCO and UNDESA, overall data availability relating to the WSIS targets is poor. To complement these data sources, a survey was carried out by ITU among its Member States, between September and November 2009. The information provided by countries is featured throughout the report.

Title: Global Information Technology Report 2009–2010: ICT for Sustainability
Authors: Soumitra Dutta, Irene Mia
Pages: 436 pp.
ISBN: 978-92-95044-81-4
Publisher: World Economic Forum and INSEAD
Date (published): 02/03/2010
Date (accessed): 21/05/2010
Type of information: ressearch report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf, 25 MB!)
Abstract:
The Report is the ninth of a series and is the result of a well-established partnership between the World Economic Forum (the Forum) and INSEAD, aimed at advancing the understanding of networked readiness’ key drivers.The Report is composed of four thematic parts. Part 1 features the findings of the Networked Readiness Index (NRI) for 2009–10, together with selected essays examining different topics related to ICT and sustainability in its economic, environmental, and social dimensions. Part 2 provides insight into best practices and policies in networked readiness and competitiveness, focusing on specific country case studies.The countries selected this year are Spain, Ireland,Tunisia, and China, which all have adopted interesting examples of successful ICT strategies to foster national economic growth and development. Part 3 features detailed profiles for the 133 economies covered in this year’s Report, offering a detailed assessment of each economy’s current networked readiness landscape and allowing for international and historical comparisons on specific variables or components of the NRI. Part 4 includes data tables for each of the 68 variables composing the NRI this year, with rankings for the economies covered, as well as technical notes and sources that provide comprehensive information on hard data variables.

Title: Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development: Core ICT Indicators, 2010
Pages: 94 pp.
Publisher: International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Date (published): 04/02/2010
Date (accessed): 21/05/2010
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
1. This publication presents the first revision of the core list of ICT indicators, originally published by the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development in 2005. The main purpose of the core list is to help countries produce high quality and internationally comparable data on information and communication technology. To assist in achieving this goal, the indicators have associated statistical standards and guidance.
2. There are 46 ICT indicators in the revised core list and two reference indicators. In comparison, the 2005 list contained 41 ICT indicators (and one reference indicator).
...
12. An important improvement to the first core list has been the addition of eight new indicators on mea- suring ICT in education (and one reference indicator). These indicators were developed by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) over several years and have been subject to extensive testing and consultation processes.

Title: Measuring the Information Society 2010
Pages: 124 pp.
ISBN: 92-61-13111-5
Publisher: International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
Date (published): 26/03/2010
Date (accessed): 17/05/2010
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (pdf)
Abstract:
The latest edition of Measuring the Information Society features the new ITU ICT Development Index (IDI) and the ICT Price Basket - two benchmarking tools to measure the Information Society. The IDI captures the level of advancement of ICTs in 159 countries worldwide and compares progress made between 2002 and 2008. It also measures the global digital divide and examines how it has developed in recent years. The report also features the latest ICT Price Basket, which combines 2009 fixed telephone, mobile cellular and fixed broadband tariffs for 161 economies into one measure and compares these across countries, and over time. The analytical report is complemented by a series of statistical tables providing country-level data for all indicators included in the Index.

(The freely downloadable pdf-version excludes the Annex 4, which features the statistical tables of tariffs used to compute the ICT Price Basket.)

Title: United Nations e-Government Survey 2010: Leveraging e-government at a time of financial and economic crisis
Author Editor:
Pages: 140 pp.
ISBN: 978-92-1-123183-0
Publisher: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
Date (published): 13/04/2010
Date (accessed): 06/05/2010
Type of information: research report
Language: English
On-line access: yes (HTML and pdf)
Abstract:
The 2010 United Nations e-Government Survey: Leveraging e-government at a time of financial and economic crisis was completed in December 2009 and launched in early 2010. The report presented various roles for e-government in addressing the ongoing world financial and economic crisis. The public trust that is gained through transparency can be further enhanced through the free sharing of government data based on open standards. The ability of e-government to handle speed and complexity can also underpin regulatory reform. While technology is no substitute for good policy, it may give citizens the power to question the actions of regulators and bring systemic issues to the fore. Similarly, e-government can add agility to public service delivery to help governments respond to an expanded set of demands even as revenues fall short. Since the last edition of the survey, in 2008, governments have made great strides in development of online services, especially in middle-income countries. The costs associated with telecommunication infrastructure and human capital continue to impede e-government development. However, effective strategies and legal frameworks can compensate significantly, even in least developed countries. Those who are able to harness the potential of expanded broadband access in developed regions and mobile cellular networks in developing countries to advance the UN development agenda have much to gain going forward.

Contents:
Foreword, acknowledgements and contents
Introduction
Part 1: Leveraging e-government at a time of financial and economic crisis
Chapter 1: Stimulus funds, transparency and public trust
Chapter 2: Roles for e-government in financial regulation and monitoring
Chapter 3: E-service delivery and the MDGs
Part 2: The state of e-government around the world
Chapter 4: World e-government rankings
Chapter 5: Citizen empowerment and inclusion
Chapter 6: Measuring e-government
Notes and references
Statistical annex