Technological inequality is significant, but slowly narrowing, according to a new analysis and indicators released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The indices and component indicators show considerable inequality between countries in terms of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure, which is a key limiting factor to ICT access. The "technology gap" is twice as large as the gap between average income levels in different countries. That gap is closing, UNCTAD finds, but only very slowly. UNCTAD´s measurements of technological inequality are intended to help in formulating policies aimed at narrowing the digital divide. Such benchmarking allows comparisons between countriesand monitoring of progressover time.
UNCTAD constructed the ICT Development Indices in cooperation with the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) to benchmark levels ofICT development in over 160 countries and territories. These indices assess connectivity based on the number of Internet hosts, PCs, fixed phone lines and mobile phones. Access is measured by the number of Internet users, literacy, GDP per capita and local call rates. Policy is measured by a domestic Internet exchange, degree of competition in the local loop, domestic long distance and Internet Service Provider (ISP) markets.
African and South Asian countries rank low on the indices and need “catching up” policies, UNCTAD contends. Latin America and the transition economies are in the middle category and need “keeping up” policies. The top-ranked countries – OECD members, Scandinavia and the South-East Asian Tigers – are in the lead but face competitive pressures and pursue “getting ahead” policies to stay ahead. Some Arab States (such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates) and island States (e.g. Barbados, Guam and Jamaica) are well-connected, despite having less competitive policy measures. Developing countries and transition economies are generally “keeping up” (e.g. Botswana, Brazil, Russia, South Africa, Turkey and Ukraine) or “catching up” (e.g. India, Kenya, Mongolia, Nicaragua and Tanzania). Different sets of policies are likely to be required for these different groups of countries, and accordingly UNCTAD is in the midst of designing policy frameworks for ICT and telecommunications intended specifically for developing countries.
