Abstract
Numerous factors, like political stability, physical infrastructure, basic healthcare, and so forth influence the extent and speed of social and economic development. There is no suggestion that ICT can eliminate the need for these or offer a panacea for all development problems. But detail analyses of experience around the world reveal ample evidence that, if used in the right way and for the right purposes, ICT can have a dramatic impact on achieving specific socio-economic development goals, as well as, play a key role in broader national development strategies. The real benefits lie not in the provision of technology rather in its application to create powerful socio-economic networks by drastically improving communication and the exchange of information (Vulkan, 1999). Recent developments in the fields of communications and information technology are indeed revolutionary in nature. Information and knowledge are expanding in quantity and accessibility. In many fields, future decision-makers will be presented with unprecedented new tools for development. In such fields as agriculture, health, education, human resources and environmental management, or transport and business development, the consequences could be really quite revolutionary. Communications and information technology have enormous potential, especially for developing countries, and in furthering sustainable development (Hamelink, 1997). ICTs have therefore brought about a new hope for the developing world. Many of these countries continue to labor in the agricultural age and their economic development is thus restricted and unable to move on and catch up with the developed world. Most developing nations have also been unable to industrialize their economies leading to greater impoverishment and dependence. In this context, the very prospect of “leapfrogging” the traditional stages and cycles of progress, is seen as revolutionary. Telemedicine, distance education, wireless applications, the use of the Internet for a wide variety of critical information dissemination tasks—hold the promise of overcoming fundamental barriers of infrastructure which have plagued the developing world (Mody, 1999).