Assigment 12

QUESTION 1

1.1. Can ICTs be used in the absence of minimum literacy levels among the poor?

ICTs play a major role in a nation’s politics, economy, social and cultural development. ICTs therefore should empower communities to access information and knowledge, should assist to reduce the socio-economic divide that exists in many countries across the globe, help in poverty alleviation efforts and be accessible to the poor of the poorest.

To achieve the above, ICTs usage must overcome the following barriers;

• Lack of access facilities

The minimum requirements of ICT facilities require a computer, network cabling, data lines, or wireless 3G for its functionality. Due to these factors, the inaccessible of these resources in the facilities in rural areas has barriers for utilisation. The computer and internet is often expensive to be accessible to ordinary citizens. It is often available only in urban areas.

• Unaffordability of service.

The datelines required for internet connectivity are sold from the service providers and they are very expensive. People in the rural areas are mostly poor and have limited access to these services. Even if you can have access to a mobile phone, the network connectivity is also limited as it is easily available in urban areas compared to rural areas, were sometimes a central satellite is made available to serve a highly dense area of the community.

• Lack of awareness about benefits of ICTs.

To focus on the needs of lower socioeconomic section of the population and the messages should be constructed for people of lower socio-economic status. Despite the growing number of people who own a computer and have internet access, most people in developing countries have little opportunity to connect to the internet.

• Language barriers in using internet.

Language is the single most barriers to access and usage of ICTs in many parts of the globe. To use high-access media channels that are accessible to the majority of the...