Effective international cooperation for sustainable development, ranging from combating the spread of epidemics to disaster relief and fighting global warming, depends on the availability of adequate telecommunication infrastructures in developing countries. While access to a telephone is taken for granted in the industrialized world, it is still a luxury in most developing countries. We have discussed this subject with several telecommunication experts. Read their opinions below.
What are the main consequences for developing countries that lack adequate telecommunications?
“Countries that lack adequate telecommunications will experience slowed economic growth and will find themselves unable to compete with other countries but, above all, they will be unable to integrate technologically, trade-wise, socially and culturally with other countries that have close ties with them.”
“There will be an undeveloped infrastructure which will bring about a high cost for telephone services. This will impact on the education sector with an increasing illiteracy level. Dispensation of medical services will also be hindered. Inadequate telecommunication promotes conflict and insecurity because, if you are not informed, you will be deformed.”
“Lack of access to adequate telecommunications in developing countries creates marginalized populations. Awareness and prevention campaigns barely reach these populations. Not benefiting from these “benefits of science” gives these populations the feeling of being second class”.
How can telecommunications contribute to the development of poor countries?
“Information and communications technology (ICT) has been found to have a direct influence on the economy at four levels: Productivity, Creation/relocation of enterprises, employment and economic growth. More effective information processing using communication technologies may increase the efficiency of the whole present economic system and this, in turn, may bring about changes in the economy of companies, industries and also influence the growth of added value.”
“Through telecommunications, poor countries can enjoy accessible open learning facilities from developed countries at low or no costs. Health systems can also benefit through cross-consultation with specialists from developed countries without the need to travel. In addition, with telecommunications, it is possible to convey health information to the population and ensure the awareness of citizens regarding health risks. Telecommunications also enhance disease surveillance and reporting hence boosting responses. Mobile money and internet banking, coupled with the ability of the country to maintain strong financial systems, will boost development.”
How has the development of new technologies affected developing countries?
“Ranging from access to finance, increased farm productivity, better health, climate change, gender empowerment, better disaster risk reductions, increased transparency, these are just some of the ways developing countries are benefiting. Essentially it is a win-win situation, where the constraints of the target groups become incentives for private sector companies to address (perhaps in partnership with development partners) as the market for telecoms becomes more and more competitive.”
“The development of the telecommunication sector is considered essential to enhance and develop transaction processes and to decrease transaction and business costs. Furthermore, another advantage of the development of telecommunication services is to lower the cost structure of the value chain of business operations. As a result, the delivery of goods and services to the end consumers will be more efficient at a minimum cost. It can be concluded that telecommunication services are indispensable for economic growth.”
“Digital identification for development was introduced into countries with low and middle income to assist and enable value-added services in most areas of the digital economy including financial services, agriculture, education etc. Most of the problems in Africa are desertification, drought, and swarms of locusts. The use of satellite remote sensing and monitoring systems such as SPOT or LANDSAT to combat those phenomena have proved to be effective. Application of Artificial intelligence (AI) as a potential game-changer to achieve Universal Health Coverage is organized to quickly identify areas and the type of AI applications that offer potentially high impact on health outcomes.”
What can the international community do to make telecommunications more accessible to developing countries?
“Telecommunication is a platform that helps deliver a channel; hence there is need (especially for developing countries) to build the capacity of institutions that help to regulate the market of what goes through that channel. In the developed world, there are checks and balances and various stakeholders have the appropriate capacity to highlight when challenges emerge. This is not the case for developing countries and hence the need for institutional building. Secondly, they have to create the space or culture to innovate. There are many interesting ideas out there and there are many talented individuals who have ideas that can make a difference. Supporting and creating the right offering is where the international community can play a crucial role.”
“The international community should remember its own lessons learnt in the gradual development of tele- and data communications. We must understand the needs of beneficiaries in their own social development setting without forcing them to follow industrialized countries’ obsession with today’s digitalization. One cannot row a boat if there is no water around.”
“To make telecommunications accessible to developing countries, there are two essential elements to consider; namely the cost of the final service and the development of the infrastructure. This is why one of the important elements of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 concerns infrastructure development. This is also apparent from the statistics from international telecommunications regulatory organizations. Equally important is the training of local experts in the field to support the development of telecommunications as well as the need to have local content instead of these countries remaining as consumers.”
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