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Information & Communication Technologies: Who gets to play?. Rohan Samarajiva Presentation at UNDP Global Meeting on ICT4D, Ottawa, 9-12 July 2003. ICTs, knowledge work & human development. ICT is not synonym for knowledge
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Information & Communication Technologies: Who gets to play? Rohan Samarajiva Presentation 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 . . . Human development + other work Effective knowledge work at present time + other inputs Information and Communication Technologies
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
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/knowledge.html • Rohan Samarajiva • Samarajiva@lirne.net • +94 1 34 67 27 (fax) • +94 1 47 87 33 (voice)