In an increasingly connected world, technology is
fundamentally changing the way business is transacted. Looking to the future of
world trade after the global financial crisis, information and communications
technology (ICT) in particular will continue to play an increasingly important
role in stimulating growth by repositioning businesses to take advantage of new
market opportunities.
At a recent
meeting at the University of Geneva on the future of the web and its role in
initiating change, the World Wide Web Foundation emphasized that what is most
important now is the development of a low-cost pre-paid web access model for
developing countries.
Rapid advances in
mobile technologies and the widespread adoption of mobile telephony are
empowering many low-income groups and unlocking entrepreneurial opportunities
by providing access to global markets. With 95 per cent of existing phones worldwide
having a basic browser or the possibility to have one, and 90 per cent of the
world covered by a minimum GSM mobile telephone network, the minimum
infrastructure required for providing mobile browsing is already available.
'There is too
much focus on broadband but today there are five billion mobile phones
worldwide. We should focus on what’s available to make a difference rather than
the next technology. What’s important is the content, services and information.
We have to teach people how to develop HTML sites that fit low-capacity
browsers and bandwidth,' said Mr. Stéphane Boyera, Programme Manager at the
World Wide Web Foundation.
According to the
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Information
Economy Report 2010, in the past few years the penetration rate of mobile
phones in the world’s least developed countries (LDCs) has surged from 2 to 25
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Technology is becoming simpler and more
affordable for the poor, enabling access to bottom of the pyramid consumers and
providing tools for farmers, producers and entrepreneurs to improve their
livelihoods.
Access to
reliable and affordable Internet connections has assumed paramount importance
in fostering the growth of e-commerce platforms and efficient
telecommunications services for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in
developing countries. While the Internet continues to grow as a business driver
in the developed world, the gap in usage rates between developed and developing
countries is climbing to alarming levels. UNCTAD reports that a person in a
developed country is on average 600 times more likely to have access to
fixed broadband than someone living in an LDC.
With the low
penetration of Internet connections in developing countries and the likelihood
that they may never catch up to the broader marketplace, we need to look to
innovative solutions in mobile technology and not rely solely on the Internet.
On the positive
side, the Internet is providing the means to rapidly replicate and share best
practices and self-help models across the world by facilitating connections
amongst peers, between sellers and buyers, and between governments and the
private sector.
This highlights
that despite the gains to be made through the use of ICT, particularly in terms of its usefulness as development
and sales tool, we have underestimated what is necessary to deliver impact. For one, ICT is an enabler but not an end
in itself. Technology on its own is not enough. It requires human intervention
and a mindfulness of the user and the purpose behind the technology employed if we are to
maximize impact.
It is also
important to create technology-related platforms that work for now and the
future. This requires long-term thinking about the sustainable use of ICT,
including an understanding of how to build an audience, how to ensure
technology remains appropriate, and how to ensure safety and security for
users. To this end, ITC is taking a proactive approach to delivering its global
public goods: through our new website, new technical tools such as
Trade4Sustainable Development (T4SD) and our e-learning platforms.
This issue of
Trade Forum covers a number of topics vital to a better understanding of the
issues and opportunities related to the role of ICT in trade. It is our role to
ensure that businesses in developing countries, and especially LDCs, gain full
advantage from new information supported by communications technology.
Along with the
opportunities for opening doors to new business potential in developing
countries, we need to ensure that ICT acts as an enabler for businesses and
does not further widen the divide between high-income and low-income countries.
It is also our role to ensure that technology brings markets closer together
and does not in fact push them further apart.