In today’s world the use of ICT as a tool of economic development and poverty reduction is becoming increasingly evident and current trends indicate that in the near future it may become indispensible in a world that is propelled by technological advancement and innovation, particularly in the field of Information Technology.
In this regard, developing countries have an opportunity to now bridge the gap that exists with the developed world as India and several others are amply demonstrating. Very important though is that the use of ICT should be people centred apart from the focus on economic growth.
Therefore, governments in developing countries have to make every effort to make the technology accessible to their peoples or else it will lead to another gap and hinder equitable development and distribution of services and wealth.
Tahir Hamid of the School of Engineering at Information & Communications, Republic of Korea, in his paper entitled: ICT as an enabler of Socio-Economic Development argues: “Hargittai and other studies have shown that the rate of IT diffusion is correlated to the general level of socioeconomic development. [1] A most recent finding is that ICT plays a vital role in advancing economic growth and reducing poverty. A survey of firms carried out in 56 developing countries finds that firms that use ICT grow faster, invest more, and are more productive and profitable than those that do not.”
“Digital divide is the uneven diffusion of technology and inequality in access to technologies with significant social, economic and political consequences. These may exist between rich and poor countries, rural and urban areas, men and women, skilled and unskilled citizens and large and small enterprises. There are many reasons for the creation of these divides but this is certain if these are not taken care of immediately, the situation for some will keep on worsening till the economies collapse.”

He adds: “The ICT vision and strategy should focus on people and not just on technology. For this to happen, it is important to develop both the ICT vision and strategy with people in mind and with the involvement of these very same people. This sometimes in turn will require awareness. While planning and implementing an ICT agenda, it is helpful to take a look at established practice. Should the national ICT agenda be sector driven or should it focus on broader issues and objectives, on benefits for society and the economy as a whole.”
Against this backdrop the recent commissioning of the fibre optic cable by GT&T is extremely heartening as it comes at a time when Guyana is repositioning itself to take advantage of ICT to advance its developmental thrust.
This is a significant development as it will certainly boost our ICT capacity and efficiency and marks a milestone in our national advancement in this area.
President Jagdeo who commissioned the cable was extremely pleased about the development as he remarked that “this project is very important for the future of our country…it will make a big difference in the lives of our people.”
He added: “Telecommunication has the ability to transform almost every aspect of life, an increase in productivity and competitiveness in almost every area.”
He also informed the gathering that this investment will be complemented by a government initiative with neighbouring Brazil.
President Jagdeo announced that the government has already made a down payment on another fibre optic cable which will be routed through Brazil.
The other cable will specifically address e-governance, through which the government will use Information Communication Technology (ICT) with the aim of improving information and service delivery, encouraging citizen participation in the decision-making process and making government more accountable, transparent and effective.
“We want to make sure that this project works in parallel and is supportive of the GT&T project. We don’t want to build networks that are redundant. We want to maximise every cent we spend,” the President said.
He indicated that the vision is for the best, most effective and cost effective fibre optic network that delivers the relevant services to people.
This is a sound start in developing and modernising our ICT capacity. It is now the role of all to ensure that people from all walks of life actually benefit from such worthwhile and positive developments.