Overview: About ICT4D
The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution has changed the way the world learns, communicates, does business and cures illnesses. ICT covers the whole range of technologies designed to access, process and transmit information in the form of text, sound, data and pictures and comprises the full range from traditional widely used devices such as radios, telephones and television to more sophisticated tools like cell phones, computers and the Internet. This technology, if deployed appropriately, offers vast opportunities for economic and social development in terms of economic growth, improved health, good governance, promotion of human rights, better market information and service delivery, learning through distance education, and social and cultural advances.
ICT4D (Information and Communication Technology for Development) is a relatively new and highly dynamic field of development cooperation. ICT4D is not just about giving people ICT skills, but helping poor and marginalized communities across the world to use the potential of ICT to improve the quality of their lives. Given the rapid development, working within the field of ICT4D is an ongoing learning process and many actors are therefore required to contribute their bit of knowledge and experience. ICT4D is by nature multi-disciplinary and potentially touches upon a vast array of topics:
- Infrastructure: providing suitable computer hardware, operating systems, software, and connectivity to the internet
- Capacity building and training in ICT: installing, maintaining, developing hardware and software and digital literacy
- Digital content and services such as e-learning, e-health, e-government
- Policy and Regulation of the ICT Sector and digital rights
- Facilitating awareness and participation on social and ethical issues
