Inter and Intra Cities Smartness: A Survey on Location Problems and GIS Tools

Background

In this section, definitions of the terms as will be used in this chapter will be provided. The authors will adopt some definitions of the literature or provide their definitions for the different terms used. The section also presents the topic discussed.

ICT (information and communications technology – or technologies) is considered as an umbrella term that includes‎ any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer ‎and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and ‎applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning (Rouse, 2005). ICT can also be defined as the digital processing and utilization of information by the use of electronic computers; it ‎comprises the storage, retrieval, conversion and transmission of information (Okauru, 2010). ICT refers to two components: information technology (IT) and communication technology (CT). IT refers to computer software and hardware, including tablets and personal digital assistance (PDA) devices. CT refers to internet facilities, including smart phones (Mamun, Danaher & Rahman, 2015). Most of the definitions in the literature share a similar notion which is that information has to be generated and shared. They also ‎assert that, such information must be digital or electronic.