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There is a very widespread belief that the increasingly ubiquitous availability of mobile communication and through this, access to wireless Internet, is somehow the resolution of the “digital (and other) divide(s)”. Thus, a current news story from China: To ease people’s woes, the central government this year launched a new online “ticketing system to curb […]
March 28, 2011
Michael Geist, a frequent commentator on Canadian telecom and Information and Communication Technology related policy issues, has provided a list of issues he would like to see addressed in Canada`s upcoming national election. On looking at his list, especially in light of what I consider to be the major (policy and other) deficiencies in Canada`s […]
February 4, 2011
That there will be many impacts some profound, many geo-political, even more unanticipated may be taken as a given. However, perhaps we received a signal of what may be one of the be the most important of all as it will potentially impact the way in which our world creates values and works towards an implementation of our highest aspirations. If such an impact is occurring then the effect will not simply change how we do and can behave but also how our technologies are defined and determined and perhaps most importantly how our relationship to our technologies acts so as to reinforce our humanity.
January 20, 2011
It was perhaps inevitable, that the Ben Ali government’s investments to present a modern face to the outside world through the technical proficiency of its young people should come back to bite it through the use of that very proficiency as a significant means to challenge and ultimately undermine and remove the government which had chosen this as its priority.
December 13, 2010
An even more intriguing possibility would be the fusing of existing rural (political) organizational structures with ICTs and envigorated with new blood from the “ant tribe” and other young people with Internet and ICT skills leading to a rural renewal, extended service delivery and both more efficient and sustainable agricultural and SMME and SME developments. Perhaps once the attention of the Chinese leadership shifts back from the explosive developments in urban areas similar structural developments might begin to be seen in rural areas and among lower income populations as well.
September 27, 2010
Broadband is clearly (if somewhat belatedly) now on the global “development” agenda. The notion is that the Developing world has fallen behind the Developed world in obtaining access to Broadband and it is now necessary to find ways of catching up. In pursuit of this “Global leaders in government, business, civil society and international organizations (were) invited to serve on the Broadband Commission for Digital Development as Commissioners by Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), with the strong support of the United Nations Secretary-General”.
March 18, 2010
If, as seems likely, the Harper government’s Digital Strategy is presented without any linkages or consideration of its relationship to CAP or the issues which CAP has been attempting to resolve then the victory of blinkered market ideology over commonsense in a digital era will be complete and Canada will slip ever further behind its allies and competitors in these most crucial areas.
February 20, 2010
So what do we miss if we don’t have the internet? This isn’t a trick question. I’m currently in Sri Lanka, a country which has had a long and interesting history of telecentres/community technology initiatives (they call them Nenasalas).
February 9, 2010
In the context of my visits to various sites in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak I’ve now got a bit of perspective on the current situation in Malaysia and I see that in certain respects at least the goals of the 2005 Plan as evidenced by the document Bridging the Digital Divide in Malaysia have been […]
September 8, 2009
High speed Internet at relatively affordable prices is rapidly becoming available in large parts of both the developed and developing worlds. This means that the technical restrictions on high volume information access and transaction management, very high speed communications at a distance, and a highly expanded range of Internet and information management capabilities are rapidly […]
January 16, 2012
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